


Lethal Love

by LunaTheAwesomeJordan



Category: Death Note
Genre: Action/Adventure, Differents Between The English Dub Anime and This Fanfic, Drama, F/M, Multiple Original Moments, Romance, Tragedy, cursing, possible out of character moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 10:53:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 157,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7505458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaTheAwesomeJordan/pseuds/LunaTheAwesomeJordan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kohaku Hatashi and Sakae Shiraki, the best friends of Light Yagami, happen to be there when Light finds a notebook that allows him to kill anyone as long as he has a name and face. The more Light uses the notebook, the more tension rises with his friendship with the girls. OCxL; OCxLight (Death Note is owned by its amazing creators)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Death Note

**Author's Note:**

> Kohaku Hatashi is voiced by Caitlin Glass while Sakae Shiraki is voice by Michelle Ruff (if you do not know their voices, please look up their names so that it will help you imagine a voice to go along with the original characters). Kohaku is my character and Sakae is my best-friend's, Brittany, character (Brittany is also my co-author but I do not think she has an account on this site). Other than our original moments, ideas, and characters, everything else is owned by the Death Note creators.
> 
> Warnings: Some Death Note Rules Are Slightly or Completely Different and will be explained in certain chapters. Also, this follows the English Dub of the Anime. Just a heads up! There are errors/mistakes b/c everyone suffers from typos! Why must we suffer from the typos?! Why?! DX
> 
> Please enjoy the chapter and stay awesome!
> 
> 2018 Update: You soon will be able to find the remake on fanfiction.net (as a separate story) and it will be titled the same. The version on Quotev will be edited to be like the remake. This version is remaining the same.

        Light Yagami, an almost eighteen year old male with brown hair and brown eyes, is sitting in a desk in a classroom. He seems to be a bit bored. Sitting behind him is Kohaku Hatashi, an eighteen year old female with long black hair that goes a little bit past her back and darkish blue eyes, who has an expression of boredom on her face. She was as bored as Light; maybe even more bored. She turns to her right and appears to start speaking with Sakae Shiraki, a young seventeen-year-old female whose blonde hair falls along her back towards the middle and greyish blue eyes that sparkle with excitement.  
  


        "Well this class is more boring than usual," Kohaku said to Sakae.

  
        Sakae nods in agreement, the sparkle in her eyes gone. "It would seem so. Not even Light is paying attention." She looks at their friend in front of them. "He seems more out of it than usual."

  
        Kohaku's expression of boredom changes to one of anxiety. "Gee thanks. Now you got me worried about him."

  
        "What? I was just pointing it out. There's no need to get too worked up about it. Light is just being Light," Sakae replied, trying to reassure her friend.

  
        Kohaku didn't answer. She simply just looks towards Light. She stares at the back of his head for a moment before sighing and looking towards the teacher, no longer feeling like having a conversation.

  
        The teacher drones on as people slowly slip into dreamland. "Listen for the voice of God then follow it and know that in time you will find your salvation." The teacher catches sight of Light. "Yagami, are you still with us? Can you please translate the following sentence into Japanese?"

  
        Light take notice that the teacher called on him. Light sighs and stood up with a thin book in his hands. He spoke in Japanese as he read from it. " _Follow the teachings of God and receive his blessings and so it shall be that the seas will again become bountiful and the raging storms will subside_." Light sat back down.

  
        The teacher nods to him. "Good job. Also." The teacher walks to the back of the room where Light is to find Kohaku sleeping and Sakae staring off into her own world. A loud smack sounds throughout the room.

  
        Sakae jumped. "Holy sugar cookies!" She notices the teacher standing in front of her. "Oh...sugar cookies…" Kohaku is, surprisingly, still sleeping. Sakae tries to wake her sleeping friend. "Kohaku, wake up… now may not be a good time to be sleeping."

  
        Kohaku's eyes open slightly. "Hmm..." She yawns and sits up straight in her seat, rubbing her eyes.

  
        "Nice to see the two of you have now joined our class once again." The teacher snaps slightly.

  
        "Sorry..." Kohaku apologized.

  
        "Now, let's continue the lesson." The teacher walks back up to the front of the classroom and begins with the lecture again.

  
        Sakae let out a nervous laugh. "I guess we are lucky we didn't get in anymore trouble."

  
        "We're lucky cause this teacher is stupid," Kohaku mumbled.

  
        "Point taken." Sakae replies.

* * *

 

        It seemed like a long time but eventually school was over with for the day. Light, Kohaku, and Sakae are heading to Light's home, which is practically Kohaku and Sakae's home too considering they are always there. Kohaku looks almost as if she is sleep walking.

  
        Sakae waves her hand in front of Kohaku's face. "Are you still awake?"

  
        "Barely but yes," Kohaku replied.

  
        "Well, the teacher did wake you up in the middle of your nap...so yeah…" Sakae says before closing off.

  
        "Are you getting enough sleep at night, Kohaku?" Light asked, showing some concern for one of his best friends.

  
        "No. Every time I go home to get some sleep, dad is always yelling at mom." Kohaku stops walking to act like her dad. Light and Sakae pause to look at her. "'This is your fault, Yue! If you haven't given our daughter a boys name, she wouldn't be coming home late! She's probably going to clubs or sleeping around with strangers, using a fake name so they don't think she's odd for having a guys name! The boys at her school probably think she's a lesbian!'" Kohaku sighs. "That last thing might be true though...Hmm..." She starts thinking about it.

  
        "Why the hell would they think you're a lesbian? You don't really hang out with girls," Sakae shoots in to ask.

  
        "True. I hang out with just ONE girl and ONE guy," Kohaku says, looking at her two best, and only, friends. "Everyone else is annoying. You two aren't exactly annoying. Also you two are the only people around my age who actually want to speak to me." She starts walking again. Light and Sakae follow her.

  
        Sakae bowed her head slightly, even though Kohaku couldn't see her, and smiled. "Thank you."

  
        "Mm," Kohaku responded, continuing to walk in front of her friends.

  
        "Allow for other people to believe what they wish. It doesn't really affect you in the end," Light said to try and comfort his friend.

  
        "Whatever you say bud," Kohaku sighed. She remained quiet for the rest of the walk.

* * *

        The next day, Light is looking out the window to his left as the teacher is talking. Sakae and Kohaku are obviously not paying any attention to the teacher and are doing their own little thing.

  
        "Another noticeable consequence is the extinction of many species on the planet. Species are now becoming extinct at a faster rate than has ever occurred in our recorded history," the teacher spoke. None of the students were really listening.

  
        As Light continued to stare out the window, a black notebook fell out of the sky and landed in the grass. Light stared at it in surprise. Sakae and Kohaku notice his look.

  
        "Light," Kohaku said. "Are you okay buddy?"

  
        "Hm?" Light turns to his two friends to see worried expressions. "Yea, I'm fine."

  
        "You sure now?" Sakae asked him.

  
        "Yes, I'm sure." He turns and stares back out the window.

  
        "Liar," Kohaku accused him. "No one ever just randomly becomes surprised by looking out of a window at school. Unless you see something very perverted or the sky's falling."

  
        "Maybe I remembered something I had to do later. It could be anything," Light said in a calm tone.

  
        "I don't believe you," Kohaku said. She then muttered under her breath, hoping her friends wouldn't hear. "Jackass..."

  
        "Heard that," Light teased as continues to look out the window.

  
        "Definitely is out of character today," Sakae commented. Kohaku sighed. "Now are you okay?" Sakae asked her sighing friend.

  
        Kohaku shrugged before staring at her desk with a sad expression on her face. She didn't like how Light wouldn't tell them why he seemed so surprised. They were suppose to be friends after all.

  
        "Kohaku?" Sakae calls out to her, softly.

  
        "Leave me be," Kohaku said quietly.

  
        "S-Sorry," Sakae apologizes before looking at her desk.

  
        "Sakae."

  
        Sakae looked up to see Light looking at her. "Yes?"

  
        "Is everything okay between you and your brother?" he asked.

  
        "Oh? Um… yeah, everything is fine for now," she said before smiling a little bit. Light nods in response and looks up at the teacher.

* * *

        Class was eventually over. The three friends were now outside, around where the notebook had fallen. Kohaku seemed to be back to being her usual self, not showing that she was still a bit sad. Light spotted the notebook and walked over to it. Curiosity got the best of Sakae & Kohaku and they walk over to him as he picked up the notebook. Light sighed when his friends reached him, having hoped his friends wouldn't follow but then again, they followed him everywhere.

  
        Kohaku studied the cover of it. "Death Note? You know, like a book of death? Think that's what it could be?"

  
        "Hmm." Light turned the book over and saw rules on the back. He read the first rule silently. " _How to use it: the human whose name is written in this notebook… shall die._ "

  
        "You mean, you can just kill anyone?" Sakae asked, having read the same rule in her head too.

  
        Light put the Death Note back on the ground. "It's pretty lame, not to mention twisted. It's really not that different from one of those chain letters you get. A human whose name is written in this notebook shall die? Come on." He started walking away.

  
        "You aren't going to keep it?" Kohaku questioned, tilting her head to the side and remaining by the book that now laid on the ground again. "What if someone else finds it and believes it's real?" She waited for a response. Light stopped walking to look at his friends but said nothing.

  
        Sakae responded to her instead. "Imagine if it got into the hands of the wrong person. They could just start killing everybody?! Almost like trying to sculpt a perfect world in their image." Chills ran down her spine. "Scary just thinking about it."

  
        "I say we take it," Kohaku said. "Even if it is a prank."

  
        "Okay, okay, I'll take it." Light walks back over to them and grabs the notebook from the ground once again. "I still don't believe this thing is real."

  
        "And let's hope we never find out!" Sakae yelled, causing her friends to cover their ears. "Sorry…"

  
        Kohaku uncovered her ears. "Anything is possible," she stated. "There is always at least a 10% chance that something is possible when it's highly impossible."

  
        "Hmm…" Light thought for a second. "You really think so?"

  
        "Indeed." She half-smiled. Never has she smiled completely. It was always a half smile or smirk.

  
        "As the saying goes, nothing is ever impossible." Sakae smiled slightly.

  
        Light looked down at the notebook. "You're right. It couldn't possibly hurt anyone."

* * *

        A train whistles as it goes by. Once it's gone, the three friends begin walking. They are heading to Light's home.

  
        "There must be something wrong with us to even consider it," Light said low enough for only Kohaku and Sakae to hear as they walk past people.

  
        "I guess." Kohaku began to think about it. "Maybe we should've left it for someone else to find. 90% chance it's a prank after all but still, we couldn't take a risk of someone getting it...Hm…" She pressed her finger to her lips as she thought while she walked with Sakae and Light.

  
        "What's boiling in that head of yours, Kohaku?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Let me look at it," Kohaku said, looking at Light. He handed her the Death Note and another notebook and she flipped through the pages as she hid the Death Note inside the other notebook to keep others from seeing it as they walked. "Hmm? Doesn't seem like anyone has written in this. Maybe it really is a prank...but then again, maybe some pages were ripped out after it was used..."

  
        Sakae looked confused for a moment. "Some of the pages are ripped out?"

  
        "Most likely because they didn't want someone to see what they put; and if it's real, the people they killed," Light commented.

  
        Kohaku checked for ripped pages. "No signs of anything being ripped out so that possibility is at 1%."

  
        "Do you like making calculations?" Light asked.

  
        Kohaku paid him no mind as she continued to think of more possibilities. She mumbled to herself. "1% for pages having been ripped out from the 5% of this being real and the other 4% is that there could be something in here but we just haven't seen it yet… Hm… That can also go for the 90% of this being fake and the person was trying to make it seem real… Interesting… Very interesting…" She flipped the pages slowly, trying to find any names that may had been written in it. Light and Sakae were beginning to see why she didn't have very many friends...and it wasn't just from her avoiding people...

  
        "Um...Kohaku, are you going to join us on Earth again?" Sakae nudged her a little.

  
        Kohaku blinked and looked at her. "Hm? Did you want something?"

  
        "You seemed like you were having fun with trying to figure out whether out the notebook was real," Sakae commented.

  
        "I always do things like this. Mainly when I'm alone. There are many mysteries in this world but this notebook is by far the greatest," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Hmm… there could be more, but at the moment, you are correct. It's a puzzle that needs to be solved." Light looked down at the notebook then back to Kohaku. "Do you think you have come up with an answer?"

  
        "There's only one thing we can do," Kohaku said, sighing. "But you may not like it."

  
        "What would that be?" Both Sakae and Light asked.

  
        Kohaku stopped walking and turned to look at them both. "Isn't it obvious? To prove if it's real or fake, we'll have to write a name in it."

  
        "You mean, actually kill somebody?!" Sakae yelled. A few people around them gave her a look as they walked by.

  
        Kohaku frowned. "Perhaps. That's only if this turns out to be real."

  
        "I think…" Light puts his hand on his chin, closes his eyes, and thinks for a moment. "If it is real, it needs to be someone who has done terrible things."

  
        "We'll figure it out when we get to your house," Kohaku said.

* * *

        Light sat at his desk at his home, inside his room, while Sakae and Kohaku stood behind him, looking over his shoulders. They were reading all of the rules of the Death Note.

  
        "This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his or her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected," Kohaku spoke, lifting a finger to her lips. "That's interesting…"

  
        Sakae read the next few rules. "If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen. If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack. After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds."

  
        "Hmm, so depending on the person you have in mind you can either kill them easily or painfully, huh," Light said, staring at the Death Note's rules. "This is pretty detailed for a prank, I'll give them that."

  
        "I am beginning to think that it is not a prank," Kohaku commented.

  
        "It is very intricate to be one if it is, but I agree with Kohaku. This doesn't seem like a prank," Sakae said before crossing her arms over her chest.

  
        "Well, go ahead Light. Write a name," Kohaku said.

  
        "Wait, on the off chance someone really dies, would that make me a murderer?" Light questioned.

  
        "I'll write the name if that little fact bothers you," Kohaku suggested. "I have nothing to lose."

  
        "No...I'm fine with it. But thanks anyway," Light declined.

  
        "Now, question is, whose name should be put," Sakae said.

  
        "That's easy. Just turn on the TV and watch the news. There's bound to be something going on," Kohaku said.

  
        "Alright." Light turned on the TV and it was already on the news. There's a daycare center being shown from a helicopter.

  
        "The same assailant who attacked 6 people at a busy shopping district in Sinjuku yesterday has struck again. Taking 8 people hostage at this daycare center," said the newscaster, who was then shown on the TV screen. "His captives include both children and teachers." A picture of a man appeared on the screen. "The police have now identified the suspect as 42-year-old Kuro Otoharada, currently unemployed. We expect negotiations to begin immediately."

  
        "Hmm," Kohaku said, staring at the screen.

  
        Sakae stopped looking at the screen momentarily to see Light writing down the man's name. She saw him look at the clock.

  
        "A heart attack in 40 seconds...we'll see," Light mumbled to himself, turning to look at the TV again. Sakae looked back at the TV as well.

  
        Kohaku looked at Light. "You actually wrote his name?" She hadn't expected him to actually try out the notebook. She glanced at the Death Note to see if he was lying but saw the name of the criminal on the TV. "Seems you aren't kidding…" She looked at the TV.

  
        Forty seconds went by and nothing seemed to really happen. Light picked up the remote for his TV. "Looks like it didn't work. I didn't expect it to."

  
        "Let's wait a second," Kohaku said, staring at the TV, feeling like something was about to happen and indeed something did.

  
        On the TV, they watch as the hostages are seen running out of the daycare center and special forces heading into the building.

  
        "The hostages all look to be unharmed," the newscaster said. "The Special Forces are taking action! We don't know if the suspect's been arrested." The newscaster paused. "Huh?" He seemed confused and a bit surprised. "We now have confirmation. The suspect has been found dead inside. I repeat, the suspect is now dead."

  
        "Dead?" Light said, looking shocked and surprised.

  
        "The Special Forces are denying allegations that they shot the suspect," the newscaster stated. "According to statements from hostages, the suspect just suddenly collapsed."

  
        Kohaku blinked as she continued staring at the TV. "It actually worked?"

  
        "No way! It's just a coincidence," Light said.

  
        "Then that is one heck of a coincidence then," Sakae said while looking at the screen of the TV. "Something like that...almost seems impossible but…it happened."

  
        "What more proof do you need, Light?" Kohaku questioned, looking at him. "You have to see it happen in person?"

  
        "I don't know if I really want that." Light replied.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku sighed.

  
        "Well, I guess we will have to see." Sakae commented.

* * *

        The three friends had cram school that night. They were all sitting at desks away from each other. Kohaku was sitting around the front, Light was somewhere in the middle, and Sakae was somewhere at the back.

  
        Light glanced to his right to see Sudo, a young male who was a complete asshole, talking to another classmate, Ryo.

  
        "Hey, Ryo buddy," Sudo said to Ryo, a sly smile on his face.

  
        "What is it, Sudo?" Ryo asked. He seemed to be a bit afraid of Sudo. Then again, who wouldn't?

  
        "Didn't you want to lend me 20 dollars?" Sudo asked him, the sly smile still on his face.

  
        "What, again? But I can't do that…" Ryo mumbled.

  
        " _Maybe I should try killing him_ ," Light thought as he stared at Sudo. " _No, I should definitely avoid killing people I know. Then again, does it even really matter? I mean, would anyone really care if a guy like him was to disappear one day?_ "

  
        Light watched as Ryo handed Sudo some money.

  
        "Sweet, looks like we'll be hanging at the arcade after school," Sudo said to his friend.

  
        Light sighed and felt someone sit beside him. He glanced to see it was Sakae.

  
        "Sakae?" he questioned.

  
        She pointed at the front of the room. Light looked and spotted Kohaku, who was getting out of her seat, her fists clenched. He watched as she moved towards where Sudo and his friend stood.

  
        " _What the hell is she thinking?_ " Light wondered.

  
        Kohaku stood behind Sudo. "Give him back his money."

  
        Sudo turned around and his sly smile grew. "Ah, Kohaku right? What makes you think it's his?"

  
        Kohaku stared at him, her expression blank. "I saw you take it from him."

  
        "I got this money fair and square," Sudo said. "Go cry about it somewhere else."

  
        Kohaku's fist connected to his stomach. Sudo grunted in pain and let go of the money, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Kohaku caught the money and handed it to Ryo.

  
        "You're welcome," Kohaku said to him before she headed back to her seat.

  
        "That little…" Sudo growled. He pointed towards her, yelling at his friend. "What are you doing just standing there gawking? Teach her a lesson!"

  
        "But what if she hits me back?" his friend questioned. Sudo just growled in anger and hit his friend's arm.

  
        "Are you just being a freakin' wimp?! Fine, I'll do it." Sudo gets up and goes over to Kohaku who just reached her desk. "Do you want to fight, you little punk?"

  
        Kohaku sat down in her desk and doesn't even glance at Sudo. "Why would I want to fight you? I was simply returning the money to its rightful owner."

  
        "You saw that he handed it to me, out of his own free will," Sudo shouted

  
        "Because you freaked him out. He knew you'd do something if he didn't," Kohaku spoke calmly. "You don't scare me however. You are wasting my time."

  
        "Then you shouldn't have messed with me in the first place." Sudo brought up his hand to try and throw a punch at Kohaku.

  
        She caught his fist in her hand. "Are you done?"

  
        "Why you little-!" Sudo takes his hand back and tries to punch her once again.

  
        She moves her head slightly and he misses. "Can you leave me alone already?"

  
        Sudo growled slightly but left. "I will get you next time."

  
        "I doubt it," Kohaku whispered, sighing.

  
        "Damn." Sakae whispered as she watched Sudo walk back to his seat. "She truly did crush his pride."

  
        Light nodded slightly. "Men like that, they seek to crush people to boost their ego."

  
        Sakae began to twirl her pencil through her fingers. "Doesn't matter right now. Let's just concentrate on work." She got up and went back to her seat.

  
        Light stared down at his desk in front of him and thought about the Death Note. The night couldn't go by any slower.

* * *

        Light, Kohaku, and Sakae were walking down the street, silently. As they three walked, they noticed a few men surround a young woman. The men were on motorcycles.

  
        "Hey baby, where you going? Come have a little fun with us," Takuo said to the lady. He must've been the leader of the group.

  
        One of his henchmen laughed. "That's our Takuo for ya. This guy can spot a hottie a mile away."

  
        "What's up little lady?" Takuo lowered his sunglasses a bit. "The name's Takuo Shibuimaru. What do you say? Come hang out with us pretty lady."

  
        Light, Sakae, and Kohaku walked into the store by them.

  
        "We gotta help her," Kohaku stated calmly. "And soon. I don't want to witness a rape."

  
        "But how could we do that without trying to get involved?" Sakae asked.

  
        Kohaku rolled her eyes and pulled the Death Note out of Light's bag. "You can be dumb sometimes."

  
        "I already knew about that. I just...didn't know it would actually be done." Sakae looked down at her hands, nervously.

  
        "Please, I don't want any trouble," the woman said to the men surrounding her outside the store.

  
        The same henchman who spoke before, spoke again. "You hear that? She doesn't want trouble."

  
        "Isn't that cute," the second henchman said.

  
        Takuo grabbed onto the girl. "Let's go boys. Strip her down right here."

  
        His men were off their motorcycles.

  
        "Are you sure?" his henchman asked greedily.

  
        They didn't wait for a reply as one of the men started to try and undo the girl's pants. Light, Kohaku, and Sakae were watching thru the store's window.

  
        "Light," Kohaku said.

  
        "I know." Light finished writing in the Death Note.

  
        "...I guess we just wait…" Sakae said, frowning.

  
        The three watch as the woman runs across the street, Takuo chasing after her on his motorcycle. Just as the woman is off the street with Takuo right behind her, a large truck slams right into Takuo, killing him. Light stares in shock like he had earlier that day. Sakae looked horrified. Kohaku just stared at the scene blankly.

  
        "The Death Note, it's for real," Light mumbled.

  
        "Indeed," Kohaku said. She was extremely calm.

  
        "There is the final proof that we truly needed. This…is scary," Sakae said as chills ran down her spine.

  
        "To you, maybe. Me, I think it's kinda cool," Kohaku said. "We can get rid of all the evil in the world. Think about it. You said yesterday when we found the book that someone could use it to sculpt a perfect world in their image. We can do that. I mean, Light can do that." Kohaku turned towards Light.

  
        "Me?" Light asked, slightly shocked. He looked at Kohaku. Sakae looked at her as well.

  
        "Well, you found it. Besides, you saw what those men were going to do. We can stop that. We, meaning Sakae and myself, can help you get names of criminals on the internet while you look for ones on TV. We can be a team," Kohaku said.

  
        "You're actually agreeing we do this, Kohaku? This isn't right! People can change, they just need to be given that second chance," Sakae said, trying to convince her two friends.

  
        Kohaku looked at her. "Sakae, a lot of murderers get second chances. You know what they do? Kill some more." She looked at Light. "You agree with me, don't you? We can stop all those criminals faster than any cop can!"

  
        Light looked down at the notebook. "Yea, I think I do agree. We were given this power and we should do some good with it."

  
        "Are you two listening to me?! Killing people is not that way to solve things." Sakae looked between them, looking for any sign of agreement. Sadly, she sees nothing. "You...you're really going to do this? Light?"

  
        "This world is corrupted, Sakae. It's better for the good to survive rather than the evil." Light stood his ground of his decision, causing Sakae to cringe back a little.

  
        "Are you with us or against us, Sakae?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        With a small sigh, Sakae stared at her two friends. "Do I really have a choice? I'd never try to go against my friends."

  
        Light placed his hand on Sakae's shoulder and smiled a little.

  
        "Great! We'll fix this world together!" Kohaku sorta cheered. She never done so before.

  
        Sakae nodded shortly. She didn't like this one bit...


	2. Ryuk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light, Sakae, and Kohaku meet the Shinigami, Ryuk, for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter will have errors here and there, to be honest. Won't be mentioning this any further.

        Five days had went by. Kohaku and Light were enjoying the fact that they were making the world better by getting rid of the criminals but Sakae still didn't quite like the idea. They've killed quite a lot of criminals in just five days but only Light wrote the names in the notebook. In fact, he hardly let the girls touch the notebook unless they just wanted to look at all the names. He refused to let them write in it...not like Sakae was complaining. She wasn't planning on writing a name down in the notebook ever; in fact, she only touched the thing once and didn't want to touch it again. Kohaku, however, found it unfair that only Light could have all the fun writing down names.

  
        Light, Kohaku, and Sakae walked into Light's home. Light's mother, Sachiko Yagami, greeted them.

  
        "What a nice surprise!" Mrs. Yagami said with a smile. "I wasn't expecting you home so early, Light. Welcome back, Kohaku, Sakae."

  
        "Hey, Mrs. Yagami," Kohaku greeted.

  
        "Hello, Mrs. Yagami," Sakae greeted with a small smile.

  
        Mrs. Yagami stood there smiling.

  
        "Huh?" Light questioned. "Oh, the results of the nationwide exams." He pulled a paper out of his bag and handed it to his mother.

  
        Mrs. Yagami looked at it, smiling more. "Goodness! Number one again! These are the highest scores you've had." She was very proud of him.

  
        "Yeah, I guess," Light said. He, Kohaku, and Sakae headed towards Light's room. "We're gonna study in my room so please don't interrupt us, okay?"

  
        "As you wish," his mother said. "Do you want anything at all dear? You can ask for whatever you like."

  
        "No, I'm, er, we're fine Mom, thanks though," Light replied to his mom as he, Sakae, and Kohaku walked into his room. He closed the door. "I've already got what I want."

  
        Kohaku remained silent and Sakae frowned slightly as Light went over to his desk and pulled out the Death Note. Light opened it and looked at all the names he written in it. He laughed maniacally as Kohaku and Sakae stood by the door, watching him.

  
        " _That's the worst maniacal laugh I have ever heard…_ " Kohaku thought. " _He really should work on that._ "

  
        Sakae was worried about her friends.  _"Kohaku is still acting the same: strange and unusual. Light...he is beginning to scare me a little. I hope he doesn't go too overboard with this…"_

  
        "You've taken quite a liking to it," the three heard someone say.

  
        The three turn to see Ryuk, a Shinigami. His skin was a light grey, almost blue-ish color, and he had black, spiky hair. His limbs are abnormally long and he had large, round, yellow eyes with red irises. Light let out a surprised scream, falling out of his chair dramatically. He stared at Ryuk with wide eyes. Sakae stared at Ryuk as well, her eyes were also wide and her jaw was dropped. Kohaku just stared at him, completely unfazed as if she expected him to arrive. Ryuk was looking at Light, ignoring Sakae and Kohaku for the time being.

  
        "No reason to act surprised. I am the Shinigami, Ryuk. That used to be my notebook. Judging by your laughter, you've already figured out that what you have is no ordinary notebook," Ryuk stated.

  
        Light stared at Ryuk before getting up, his shocked and surprised expression gone. Ryuk looked towards Kohaku and Sakae who stood to his left. He stared at them for a few moments before looking back at Light, ignoring them again.

  
        "Shinigami, a God of Death, huh?" Light questioned. "Well, I'm not surprised."

  
        "Pfft," Kohaku scoffed. "Then why the heck did you fall out of your chair so dramatically? You can't be that good of an actor."

  
        "Yeah, that's something you aren't really too good at, Light," Sakae said.

  
        Light ignored the girls and continued talking to Ryuk. "In fact… Ryuk, I've been waiting for you."

  
        "Oh?" Ryuk questioned.

  
        "I've already figured out that this Death Note that I've found is real, it didn't take me long," Light explained. "And now that I've witnessed the proof of its power, I only feel more confident in what I'm gonna do."

  
        "Excuse you but I came up with the idea," Kohaku said. Light sent her a look as if to say "shut the hell up".

  
        "Kohaku," Sakae whispered, gripping Kohaku's right arm since she, Kohaku, stood to her left. "Let them talk."

  
        "This is interesting," Ryuk stated. "I certainly wasn't expecting this. Several Death Notes have made their way into the human world in the past, but you're the first to have written this many names." He glanced at the girls. "And you're the first to have a little help from someone else." He looked at the Death Note. "Look at how many people you've killed in only five days. Most are reluctant to write this much."

  
        "That makes sense," Sakae said, causing Light and Ryuk to look at her. "S-Sorry for interrupting." She laughed nervously.

  
        "I agree with Sakae," Kohaku said. "Any normal person who suddenly was granted this...power to kill anyone they wished would hesitate. This notebook isn't normal after all. It's quite normal for people to be afraid to use it like Sakae."

  
        "Aren't you smart," Ryuk said, turning to face her and not Sakae. "Your reaction to me was different from your friends."

  
        "I figured that if the Death Note could exist, why can't a shinigami," Kohaku stated calmly. "I expected that you'd be a lot more...scarier."

  
        "Why, thank you. It takes a lot of work to keep this look," Ryuk said.

  
        "Yea... I think it's his personality that makes him less scary," Sakae said, causing Ryuk to look a little surprised.

  
        "I knew that this Death Note belonged to a Shinigami and now that Shinigami is here." Light looked away from the girls and sat at his desk, looking at the desk. Ryuk, Sakae, and Kohaku looked at Light.

  
        " _Pfft, yeah right_ ," Kohaku thought. " _He's probably just saying that so he doesn't look like an idiot or something. Unless...he really is a good actor and kept his knowledge from me and Sakae until now...Hmm..._ "

  
        "So what will happen to me? You're here to take my soul, right? The girls only touched the book; they never written in it so they shouldn't be harmed, right?" Light questioned Ryuk.

  
        " _At least he cares about what happens to us…_ " Sakae thought.

  
        "Hmm, what do you mean?" Ryuk questioned, looking towards Light. "Is that some fantasy you humans came up with? I'm not gonna do anything to you or those girls."

  
        Light looked at him, truly surprised this time. "Huh?"

  
        "The notebook becomes part of the human realm from the very moment it touches the Earth. In other words, the notebook is now yours," Ryuk said.

  
        "This...is mine?" Light looked at the now closed Death Note.

  
        " _In a way, it's his, mine, and Sakae's_ ," Kohaku thought. " _But he did touch it first. Lucky._ " She bite her lip.

  
        "If you don't want it, just give it to someone else. But if you give it away, I'd have no choice but to erase your memories of the notebook," Ryuk said, causing Kohaku to lose her train of thought.

  
        "Wait, so none of us will be punished?" Sakae asked before Kohaku could.

  
        "One can only hope," Kohaku muttered.

  
        "Let's just say this," Ryuk started to speak. He was speaking mostly to Light. "You will feel the fear and pain known only to humans who have used the notebook. And when it's your time to die, it will fall on me to write your name in my death note. Be warned, any human who's used a Death Note can neither go to Heaven nor Hell for eternity. That's all." Ryuk laughed. "Now you have something to look forward to after you die."

  
        Sakae raised her hand slightly. "Um…I have a question for Mr. Shinigami."

  
        "Yes?" Ryuk replied as he turned to look at Sakae.

  
        "Since Kohaku and I sort of helped Light, does that mean we share the same fate?" she questioned.

  
        "Like I said, only humans who use it can never to go Heaven or Hell. Unless you two girls wrote in it, then no, you do not share the same fate," Ryuk clarified to the group.

  
        "We're lucky bitches then," Kohaku commented. "Wait, with the logic you just said, wouldn't that mean that Light will basically become like you, Ryuk?" She placed her left index finger to her lips. "That would be interesting."

  
        "That really would be interesting, wouldn't it," Ryuk said. It didn't seem like he knew the answer...or at least, didn't want to reveal an answer to them.

  
        There was a knock on the door.

  
        "Light? Sakae? Kohaku?" they heard Mrs. Yagami say.

  
        The three shared a look with each other before looking at Ryuk. They all thought the same thing.  _Would she see Ryuk?_

  
        Ryuk answered their unspoken question. "It'll be alright. Answer it."

  
        Light hid the Death Note and went to open the door. His mother smiled, holding a basket of apples.

  
        "I thought you'd like some apples. The neighbors brought them over to us. Why is it so dark in your room, Light? You'll ruin both your eyesight and the girls' eyesight," his mother said.

  
        "Yeah, Light," Kohaku said.

  
        "You're going to make us go blind," Sakae teased.

  
        "Right...Sorry. Thanks, Mom." Light took the basket and closed the door as his mother walked off.

  
        Kohaku was curious. "She didn't see Ryuk." She had said it like a statement, instead of a question.

  
        Light went over to his desk and placed the basket of apples on it. Ryuk went over to the desk. Sakae and Kohaku walked over to the desk to stand beside Light.

  
        "You three touched that notebook so only you three can see and hear me," Ryuk explained. "In other words, you can say the notebook created some sort of bond between the four of us." He picked up an apple and took a bite out of it. He chewed it for a bit and swallowed. "Yum."

  
        "Why was I chosen for this?" Light questioned him.

  
        Ryuk was too busy devouring the apples to answer the question.

  
        "I don't think you were chosen," Kohaku stated.

  
        "I want to hear it from him," Light said, glaring at Kohaku slightly. She went silent. Light looked back at Ryuk. "Are you listening?"

  
        "Apples in the human world are worth the trip. What's the best way to describe these? Juicy?" Ryuk wiped his mouth.

  
        "Sweet, maybe?" Sakae replied back.

  
        "Yes, definitely sweet," Ryuki said as he eats another apple.

  
        "Am I just being ignored here?" Light said, catching the attention of everyone.

  
        "Oh, sorry, kid. Did you say something?" Ryuk asked.

  
        Light facepalmed slightly and repeated his question. "Why was I chosen for this?"

  
        "I didn't choose you," Ryuk said. "Don't you see? This is all just an accident."

  
        "See?" Kohaku elbowed Light in the side lightly.

  
        "Hmph," Light grunted.

  
        "An accident?" Sakae questioned.

  
        "You actually thought you were chosen because you're so smart or something?" Ryuk questioned Light. "Don't be so vain. It just happen to fall around here and you just happened to pick it up before..." Ryuk nodded towards Sakae and Kohaku, "...before those two did. That's why I wrote the instructions in English, the most popular language in the human world."

  
        "If you wrote down specific instructions, that would mean you dropped it on purpose and not by accident," Kohaku stated, giving Ryuk a questioning look. "Why did you drop it anyways?"

  
        "I was about to ask the same thing," Light commented, glaring at Ryuk a bit.

  
        The three friends stared at Ryuk and he stared back.

  
        "Why? I did it 'cause I was bored," Ryuk revealed.

  
        Light's glare was gone and he became confused. "You were bored?"

  
        "Looks like even Shinigami can get bored," Kohaku said.

  
        Sakae nodded a bit. "Yeah…"

  
        Ryuk began to explain. "The truth is Shinigami haven't got much to do these days. Most of the time, we're either taking naps or gambling. If you take the time to write names in your Death Note, the others just laugh at you for working so hard. Even if you wrote the name of another Shinigami, it'd be pointless because they wouldn't die. And so because we live in the Shinigami Realm, it brings us no amusement to kill those in the human world either. So, I figured I'd have more fun if I came down here myself. Anyway, I'm surprised at how many names you've written. But I wanna know why you only wrote the cause of death for that guy who was hit by the truck."

  
        Light gave him a sly smile. "If you don't write down the cause of death, the victim dies of a heart attack. And that's probably the best thing about the Death Note, Ryuk. You see, I've-" He is interrupted by someone clearing their throat. It was Kohaku. Light rolled his eyes. "We've already exhausted the list of the world's major criminals. And eventually, we're going to get rid of them all."

  
        "Indeed," Kohaku nodded.

  
        Sakae shivered a little. She'd never get use to hearing that over and over again…

  
        "What's the point of doing that?" Ryuk questioned.

  
        "It's only a matter of time before people figure out that these criminals are being eliminated by someone. I want the world to know of my existence. That there's someone passing righteous judgement on the wicked," Light said, greedily.

  
        "I really hate how you make this all about you when I came up with the idea... Technically, Sakae came up with the idea by randomly speaking her thoughts but still." Kohaku shoved Light slightly. "Start giving us a bit of credit for this, you greedy jackass." Light glared at her again.

  
        "If you killed all the bad people, it would make you the only bad person left," Ryuk said.

  
        "Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about," Light said in a somewhat innocent tone. "I'm a hard working honor student considered to be one of Japan's best and brightest. And I… I will become the God of this New World."

  
        "Again, what about me and Sakae?" Kohaku sighed and sat on Light's bed. "So damn greedy."

  
        Sakae sat beside Kohaku, silently agreeing with her friend that was somehow managing to still be her normal self.

  
        "You two could be the Goddesses of our New World," Light suggested, looking at them.

  
        "No thanks," Kohaku said. "Rather be the Weirdo of the "New World"." She looked at Ryuk. "You staying Ryuk? If so, I must warn you. Light writes dramatically sometimes." Kohaku mimicked the act of writing in a notebook. "It's normal at first but then he is like…" Kohaku shot her arm out and all about each time she pretended to write something. "Kinda like he is thinking 'Now you die! And you!' or like he's doing some very odd karate."

  
        "He's being a little bit overly dramatic when he does that," Sakae said, slightly giggling.

  
        "Who says I'm being overly dramatic?! It looks cool!" Light yelled.

  
        "It looks stupid in my opinion," Kohaku said, giving him a half smile. "In a slightly cute sort of way."

  
        "I think it's stupid in a funny sort of way," Sakae said, then smiles.

  
        "I have no idea if you two are insulting me or complimenting me," Light said, with a slight pout in his tone.

  
        "Maybe we're doing both at once," Kohaku said to confuse him. "After all, we're girls and us girls can be very confusing to teenage boys like yourself." She stuck her tongue out at him.

  
        "You shouldn't be confusing though and don't stick your tongue out at me!" Light said to Kohaku with Sakae laughing in the background.

  
        "Hmm...humans are interesting creatures," Ryuk stated to himself before taking a bite of another apple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jaw Dropping: It means that your mouth is open wide and you are surprised or shocked by something.
> 
> Please comment and such! :3 Love ya! *virtually hugs you*


	3. L

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> L makes his first non-visual appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of many long chapters to come.

        It's the next day. Sakae, Light, and Kohaku are in class. The teacher was once again talking about something that bored them to death.

  
        "He found himself overwhelmed with happiness and satisfaction know that, his dream had finally come true." The teacher looked around the class. "Alright then." He spotted Light. "Yagami? Please recite the line for us."

  
        Light stood up. "Sure." He picked up his book and turned the page a few times. "Having finally made his dream a reality, he was overwhelmed. Both by the magnitude of his achievement and by the joy & happiness that it brought him." He sat back down.

  
        "That was very well done," the teacher complimented. "But I'm not surprised, of course. Absolutely flawless. Well then, we'll leave it at that for today."

  
        The bell rang and all the students got up. Ryuk, who was squatting beside Light's desk, stood up. Sakae and Kohaku moved to stand by Light and waited for him to get his things, their stuff in hand.

  
        "I thought it'd never end," Ryuk said.

  
        "I know right," Kohaku muttered.

  
        "It may be boring. It just all depends on how you look at it," Sakae said with a smile across her face.

  
        "How do you do this everyday? It's so boring here," Ryuk said, looking at the three.

  
        "Come on," Light said to the girls, walking to exit the classroom.

  
        The girls followed him.

  
        "Hey, where're you going?" Ryuk questioned. He went after them and followed them outside. "Hey! Are you listening to me?"

  
        Light spoke quietly. "Don't talk to me. Unlike you, people can still hear me when I talk out loud."

  
        "Then pretend that you are talking to me or Kohaku," Sakae suggested.

  
        "Or talk as loud as you want and not give a damn about your reputation like me!" Kohaku exclaimed loudly, causing students to look at them. Everyone already thought she was odd so she didn't see the point in her whispering.

  
        "Well, I guess it's bad that I do give a damn," Light said.

  
        "You're so boring, Light," Ryuk commented. "Unlike your friend. What was your name again?" Ryuk looked at Kohaku.

  
        "Her name is Kohaku," Sakae muttered under her breath. Students were still looking at them as they walked.

  
        "Why couldn't she have said it herself?" Ryuk asked.

  
        "I hate my name," Kohaku said in a normal tone of voice.

  
        "What? Hate your name?" Ryuk said in a confused tone.

  
        "It's a guy's name and I'm a girl. It doesn't fit so I hate it," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Hmm...what a strange reason to hate a name," Ryuk said as he began to contemplate reasoning.

  
        It wasn't really the reason why she hated her name. The real reason was that her parents had been hoping they were having a boy and only thought of a boy's name. When she was born, they gave her that name. She was a surprise to them. A mistake. An accident. She'll always hate her name…

  
        They continued to walk.

  
        "Hey, what's up, Light?" a male student asked. "We were just going to head down to the-"

  
        Light interrupted him. "Sorry, I'm a little busy today."

  
        They walked passed the guy who looked dumbfounded.

  
        "You don't have anything to do," Ryuk said, matter-of-factly. "Aren't you three just going to go to your house and hang out in your room as usual?"

  
        "What are you talking about?" Light said quietly. "Of course I, um, we have something to do."

* * *

  
        The four of them were in Light's room. Light was at his desk, looking at his TV and writing names in the notebook. Ryuk was chilling on Light's bed, munching on another apple. Sakae was sitting on the floor with a laptop on her lap. Kohaku was sitting to her right, looking at the laptop and pointing at random criminals.

  
        "There was more violence across the city today. Another stabbing, this time at a restaurant in the heart of the Kabuki-cho district of Shinjuku," the news reporter on TV said.

  
        "Why does there have to be so much crime in the world?" Kohaku asked to no one in particular. "I don't see why these criminals didn't think these things through. They should've thought about what would happen if they killed someone or raped someone." She paused for a moment. "Maybe they did think it through but did it anyways because they wanted to. A lot of these criminals must not give a damn about what happens to them…"

  
        "It's the thrill they're after," Sakae commented as she types on the laptop. "The thrill of the kill, the thrill of the escape, the thrill of thinking you got away with it. They don't care who they kill." She looked down at her hands. "And...who it hurts."

  
        Light looked back at Sakae. "You seem to know a bit about that subject."

  
        Sakae waved her hand slightly. "Just a little."

  
        "Mmm... You will always be a complete mystery to me, Sakae," Kohaku stated. She laid her head on Sakae's right shoulder.

  
        "Only time shall reveal the wounds of the past," Sakae said, before going back to work on the laptop.

  
        "Hmm...mysteries. That sounds interesting," Ryuk commented as he took a bit of an apple.

  
        Light sighed then turned back to his desk. "Let's get back to work."

  
        Kohaku sighed. "Light, the criminals aren't going anywhere. Can't we take a break?"

  
        "Fine but for just a few minutes," Light sighed.

  
        Sakae set the laptop on the floor. "I know you are passionate about this, Light. But...you can't consistently be doing this. I'm scared of what may happen to you if you continue to do this."

  
        "I don't need your pity, Sakae. This world needs to be fixed," Light said while staring at the Death Note. "And it can't just be fixed if corruption continues to breed."

  
        "Light...you still gotta take breaks from it every now and then." Kohaku stood up and walked to Light. She patted his shoulder. "Promise you won't let this notebook change your personality completely?"

  
        "It hasn't changed me yet and it won't change me. That's not something I'd let happen," he answered back.

  
        "You never know..." Kohaku frowned. "I just don't want to lose you as a best-friend."

  
        Light turned to the two girls. "Is that what you two are worried about? Me changing and no longer being your friend."

  
        "Well," Sakae chimed in. "Not so much losing friendship but you changing. You'd never lose our friendships because we'd continue to bug ya."

  
        "Let's rethink the idea of bugging him," Kohaku said. "If this notebook does change him and we bug him too much, there's a chance he'd think about killing us."

  
        "I would never kill the two of you. You two mean too much to me," Light said in a reassuring tone of voice.

  
        "Aww," Sakae said as she smiled. "Don't I feel special."

  
        Kohaku spoke slowly and hesitantly. "That's...um...really, er, sweet of you to say..."

  
        "Human relationship seem like such a complicated thing. I'm glad I don't have to deal with them," Ryuk said, making everyone notice him again. He was still chilling on Light's bed.

  
        "What? Ryuk, don't you have somebody that you like?" Sakae asked him.

  
        "Don't need to. In my world, no such relationships are needed," Ryuk answered.

  
        The door knob turned and clicked as it stopped turning. Sakae, Light, Ryuk, and Kohaku looked at the door.

  
        "Huh? Weird," they heard Sayu, Light's younger sister, say outside the door. "Hey, Light, why is your door locked? Are you doing secret things with Sakae and Kohaku?"

  
        Kohaku tilted her head slightly and looked at Sakae, speaking quietly. "Is it just me or did she say that last question in a perverted-like tone?"

  
        Sakae got up and stretched. "No, I think I heard it the same way."

  
        "What is it, Sayu?" Light asked, staring at the door.

  
        "Can you help me with my homework?" Sayu asked back.

  
        Light hesitated for a moment. "Uh, yeah. Okay." He put the Death Note in a drawer in the desk before moving to the door, unlocking and opening it.

  
        Sayu walked inside with a notebook in her hand. "We're doing quadratic equations in math. Sorry to interrupt, I know you guys were studying...and whatever else you do, but I'm like the only person in my class who doesn't get this stuff." She sat at Light's desk.

  
        "It's no problem, Sayu. We'd all be happy to help you," Sakae offered.

  
        Kohaku sat on the floor, leaning against the bed. "Have fun with that."

  
        Light took at look at Sayu's work. "Everything seems to be okay."

  
        Sakae walked over to the two and looked at the worksheet. "It may be that the division is wrong. If you are trying to find the roots of it, I suggest completing the square or quadratic formula. The second option is the best bet."

  
        "Also have to be careful with what kind of equation your deal with," Light added.

  
        "Nerds," Kohaku muttered.

  
        "That is actually a big help. Thank you," Sayu said.

  
        "No problem," Sakae said then went sat back down on the floor.

  
        "Is that all?" Light asked.

  
        "Yes, thank you. I'll come back when I need more help," Sayu said as she left the room.

  
        Kohaku got off the floor and stretched. She didn't say anything as she headed towards the door, about to leave Light's room.

  
        "Where you headed to, Kohaku?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Heading home. See ya." Kohaku left the room, closing the door behind her.

  
        Light and Sakae couldn't help but believe that something was bothering Kohaku.

* * *

  
        It's been about a week or so since Light, Sakae, and Kohaku found the Death Note; perhaps even longer. People were beginning to notice the deaths of the criminals…

  
        At the ICPO headquarters, a meeting is being held.

  
        "There have been fifty-two deaths that we're aware of and that's just in the past week," a delegate stated.

  
        "Every single one of them involved a heart attack," a second delegate stated.

  
        Delegate #1 spoke again. "They were all criminals who were either being held in prison or who were wanted by police for outstanding crimes. And I think it's say to say there are other criminals whose deaths are unaccounted for."

  
        A third delegate spoke. "In which case, the death toll could be well over 100."

  
        Soichiro Yagami, father of Light and Sayu, walked in and sat beside Touta Matsuda. Matsuda turned towards him.

  
        "Uh, Morning Chief," Matsuda said a bit nervously. "They started the meeting without you."

  
        "That's fine," Mr. Yagami said. "I had to take an urgent call from headquarters."

  
        The two stopped socializing to listen to the meeting.

  
        "At any rate, these were criminals who were probably facing execution sooner or later," delegate #2 stated. "Perhaps we shouldn't be-"

  
        The first delegate interrupted him and appeared to be angry. "Why should it matter if it's a criminal or someone innocent?! Last time I checked, murder was still murder!" He had a point.

  
        "It's still too early to consider these a homicide," delegate #3 said calmly.

  
        "Then how did all these people have heart attacks at the exact same time?!" delegate #1 yelled. "That's not coincidence, it's murder!"

  
        "You think it's possible to simultaneously kill all these people in different locations?" delegate #3 questioned mockingly.

  
        A fourth delegate began to speak. "We're treating this as an elaborate murder plot that's been carried out by a large organization." If only they knew that three teenagers were the cause of all the killings.

  
        "If it's a large organization, I'm sure I'm not alone in suspecting the FBI or CIA," a fifth delegate commented.

  
        "I dare you to say that again!" delegate #6 yelled.

  
        "Now now, this is not the time to be joking around! We need to confirm that these are indeed homicides and not coincidences!" delegate #7 exclaimed.

  
        "How?" delegate #3 questioned. "Autopsy results show that in all of these cases, the victims died of a sudden heart attack."

  
        "Investigating a series of heart attacks is pointless. I don't see what else we can learn," delegate #4 stated.

  
        "Absolutely," delegate #5 agreed. "If these people had been shot or stabbed, at least we'd have something to go on."

  
        Delegate #1 sighed. "If that's the case, it looks as if we'll have no choice but to bring in L."

  
        Everyone was quiet all of a sudden with the mention of L. Not even five seconds later, everyone started to murmur amongst themselves.

  
        Matsuda was confused. He turned towards Mr. Yagami. "Uh, Chief. What's this "L" they're talking about?"

  
        Mr. Yagami looked at Matsuda. "Right. I forgot that it's your first time at this conference. We don't know L's real name or whereabouts. In fact, we still don't even know what he looks like. However, he's managed to solve every case he's ever taken on. And he's tackled some of the greatest mysteries this world has ever known. He hides in the shadows, but he's the best of the best. A last resort. Our trump card."

  
        Delegate #8 decided to speak his thoughts. "But I've heard this "L" is extremely arrogant and has tended to only take on cases that he's personally interested in."

  
        Delegate #9 agreed with him. "That's exactly right! Besides, we don't even know how to contact him."

  
        "L is already on the move," everyone heard a man say. They all turned to where they heard the voice and saw someone in a black trench coat and hat walking to the front of the room. They were all silent as they watched him. This mystery person was Watari. Soon, he was standing in front of everyone, his identity very well hidden. "Gentlemen, L has already begun his investigation into these incidents."

  
        "Who's that?" Matsuda questioned Mr. Yagami.

  
        "That man's the only known person who can contact L. Nobody knows his true identity either," Mr. Yagami responded.

  
        "Please be silent," Watari stated. "L would now like to address the delegates." He opened up an laptop. There was a large "L" on the screen. Behind Watari, a larger screen that was in the meeting room changed to show the "L".

  
        "Greeting to all of you at the ICPO," L said, his voice being altered by a voice distorter. "I...am L."

* * *

  
        Light, Ryuk, and Sakae were inside a run-down building. Kohaku was surprisingly not with them. Light was messing around with some liquids, appearing to be somewhat experimenting with something.

  
        "What are we doing here anyway? I don't understand why we're sneaking around this dump. Tell me," Ryuk said.

  
        "Isn't it obvious?" Light questioned.

  
        "Obviously not," Sakae said.

  
        Light half smiled. "Anyone who touches the Death Note will be able to see you, Ryuk. I should've done something like this sooner but we were all busy. We can't afford to carry something this dangerous around with us anymore. At first, I thought that if my family ever saw the notebook, I could tell them I was keeping records of various criminals in preparation for becoming a detective one day." Light looked at Ryuk. "But...then I remembered what I said a few moments ago: anyone who touches the Death Note will be able to see you." Light went back to what he was doing. "We're walking a very fine line right now." Light mixed two liquids together that ignited. " _I don't want to think about it...but...if I make one mistake, I might end up killing my own family...and maybe even Sakae and Kohaku… I can't let that happen."_

  
        "Hey...do you think that something is wrong with Kohaku?" Sakae asked Light.

  
        "Hm?" Light blinked and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

  
        "Well, since you and I helped your sister with her homework, she's been...kinda distant," Sakae explained. "She doesn't talk as much as she usually does, kinda like she did when we became friends with her three years ago. Also, she's been sleeping more."

  
        "She always sleeps but yeah, she has been talking less," Light said. "Do you have any ideas why she'd be acting like that?"

  
        "Well…" She began.

  
        "Well?" Light stared at her.

  
        "I think she's kind of tired since she hasn't been able to take naps at your house," she said.

  
        Light looked confused. "That's it?"

  
        "And maybe...since you and I know a little bit more about math and other school subjects, she could be a little jealous over that," she mentioned.

  
        "Hmm…," Light thought for a second. "I can see that."

  
        Sakae nodded slightly. "Let's get this over with and get out of here."

* * *

  
        Back at the ICPO headquarters, L, with his modified voice, spoke to the delegates through the laptop.

  
        "The difficulty of this case lies on its unprecedented scope. And make no mistake, we are witnessing an atrocious act of mass murder, one that is unforgivable. This case cannot be solved without the full cooperation of the ICPO. That is all of the police organizations you represent throughout the world. You need to make the decision to fully support the investigation at this meeting. Also I require additional cooperation from Japan's National Police Agency," L said.

  
        "Huh?" Mr. Yagami questioned, standing up along with Matsuda. "What? Why Japan in particular?"

  
        "Whether this guilty party is an individual or a group, there is a strong possibility that they are Japanese. And even if they are not we can be sure they're hiding in Japan," L explained.

  
        "What is all this based on?" Mr. Yagami questioned L for a second time.

  
        "Why Japan, you ask? I think I will be able to provide you with proof of that after I directly confront the culprit," L said.

  
        "A direct confrontation?" Mr. Yagami questioned L for the third and last time.

  
        "At any rate, I would like to set up the investigation headquarters in Japan," L said.

  
        Mr. Yagami just stared at the very large screen with the "L" on it. He didn't seem too happy.

* * *

  
        Light, Sakae, and Ryuk are now in Light's room. Kohaku is curled up on Light's bed, sleeping. Instead of her normal school uniform entire, Kohaku was wearing a black tanktop and gray jogging pants. Obviously, she didn't give a shit how she dressed outside of school. She'd wear the same clothes for weeks if she wanted to , while still showering regularly of course.

  
        Light was relaxing at his desk and Sakae's gaze on Kohaku's sleeping form moves towards Light. Ryuk also looked at Light.

  
        "That was easier to make than I thought it'd be," Light said.

  
        "Does that mean you were able to hide the notebook?" Ryuk asked.

  
        "Yeah." Light nodded towards a drawer with a key in the lock. "I hid it in that drawer."

  
        "That doesn't seem to be particularly well hidden," Ryuk said. "You left the key in the lock."

  
        "That's the whole point," Light revealed. "I intentionally left the key in the most noticeable place I could think of."

  
        Sakae stared at him a bit confused. "Why?"

  
        Light opened up the drawer to reveal a brown leather diary.

  
        "Isn't that just a regular diary?" Ryuk asked.

  
        Light nodded. "That's what it is. I'm guessing that once most people find the diary inside my desk, that'll probably satisfy their curiosity."

  
        "That's smart," Sakae commented. "But, um, where's the notebook?" Sakae hadn't been watching Light make his little creation. She had been in her own little world, and looking at Kohaku every now and then to make sure she was okay, so she had no idea where he placed the Death Note.

  
        Light picked up a ball-point pen. "This is the real key. Just an everyday item you'd expect to find lying around on my desk. And all I need…" Light unscrewed the tip of the pen, taking out the ink reservoir of the pen. "Is this."

  
        "So that's the key?" Ryuk questioned him.

  
        "Yeah. If you look closely, you'll find there's a small hole underneath the drawer. Then you just insert this." Light placed the ink filler into the hole at the bottom of the drawer. It caused the bottom of the drawer to lift revealing the Death Note in the real drawer.

  
        "Neat," Sakae commented.

  
        "A fake bottom. The diary will distract most people so I doubt anyone will find it," Ryuk said.

  
        "But that's not all," Light revealed.

  
        "There's more?" Sakae blinked.

  
        Light began to explain. "Even if someone figures out there's a fake base, I've set things up so that there's no way they could get their hands on the notebook. You see, once the ink reservoir is inserted, it accesses an insulator, preventing the flow of electricity around this circuit. When the fake base of the drawer's put back, this piece of rubber also prevents the flow of electricity. However, if someone were to try and force the bottom of the drawer open, the circuit would connect and that would ignite the gasoline contained in this thin plastic casing, instantly setting the notebook on fire. The way I've got it set up, all the evidence will be completely destroyed. If I'm ever questioned, I'd say that I was hiding the real diary because I didn't want anyone to see it. It sounds like a pretty believable excuse. I mean, it is my diary after all."

  
        "You really thought this through," Sakae commented, biting her lip.

  
        "I've heard of humans finding Death Notes in the pat and typically the biggest problem they had was finding a good place to hide it. But you, Light, you're probably the first to have given it this much thought. Though, it's a pretty risky setup from the look of it. If you make even the slightest mistake, you could be badly burned," Ryuk said.

  
        "Risky? You say the strangest things sometimes, Ryuk. This whole thing has been a risk since the very beginning, from the moment we obtained the Death Note. I'm sorry, but compared to that, this doesn't even qualify as a risk to me. In fact it actually protects me...us. It all comes down to a choice: would I prefer to be executed or deal with a little house fire?"

  
        " _This seems all too risky. I honestly don't understand you, Light, sometimes."_ Sakae thought as she stared at the teen in front of her. " _I just hope...you don't regret any of this."_

* * *

  
        About thirty minutes later, Sakae and Kohaku, who was finally up and about, stood behind Light as he looked at sites on his computer.

  
        "Ryuk, you should check this out," Light said.

  
        "Huh?" Ryuk walked over to the three and looked at the computer.

  
        "Seems like Light has created some fan base," Sakae commented.

  
        "No, I haven't," Light responded.

  
        "Websites like this are popping up everywhere lately," Kohaku said.

  
        "The Legend of Kira the Savior. Huh. Sounds pretty cool. Is this about you, Light?" Ryuk asked.

  
        "Yeah. Well, technically it's about Sakae and Kohaku too but no one knows that there are three of us except for, well, us," Light said.

  
        "They took the name "Kira" from the English word "killer"," Kohaku said.

  
        "Can't say I'm too happy about that, but it looks like that's the name they've decided to give me...I mean, us," Light said. His personality was just going back in forth. He'd credit the girls and then suddenly just completely forget they were helping him, becoming completely selfish before going back to crediting them again. The Death Note really was changing him.

  
        "I say it fits nicely," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Maybe too nicely. Hmm…" Sakae began to think about it.

  
        "Anyways, the media hasn't seemed to have picked up on these "Kira" sites. But the people of the world can already sense that there's something happening. They know that someone is passing righteous judgement," Light said.

  
        "Or just killing off criminals but hey, who's paying attention," Sakae said as she shrugged her shoulders.

  
        "In school, if something like this was a topic, everyone would say that it's wrong to kill people," Kohaku said. "That's just how everyone is. No one wants to stand out." Kohaku gestured towards the computer. "With these sites, a lot of people can show what they truly feel. Support of Kira is growing. They've noticed that someone," she gestured towards herself, Light, and Sakae, "is getting rid of the bad guys; making them disappear one by one."

  
        "And turning the world into what it should be. Where the good can prevail and the evil is crushed down," Light said as a smile began to cross his face.

  
        Sakae raised an eyebrow. "Creepy much, Light?"

  
        Kohaku covered her mouth to keep from laughing, hiding a smile as well.

  
        "Oh, hey! Kohaku looks like she's going to laugh," Sakae yelled slightly with a smile on her face.

  
        Kohaku coughed back the laugh. "Was not." She didn't move her hand from her mouth.

  
        "Then explain why you covered your mouth to try and hide the laugh," Sakae demanded.

  
        "I was...going to sneeze," Kohaku said, moving her hand. She was half smiling now, not like her friends would know she had actual completely smiled behind her hand.

  
        "How come you didn't sneeze then? I'm going to keep asking questions till I get the truth, little missy," Sakae half teased.

  
        "Because I held it in." Kohaku stuck her tongue out.

  
        "I didn't see the face that signals one is about to sneeze," Sakae commented.

  
        "You are such a doofus." Kohaku poked her nose. "I shall reveal nothing to you."

  
        "Hey." Sakae scrunched her nose slightly and pointed at Kohaku. "No poking the Sakae."

  
        Kohaku couldn't help it. She laughed a little and didn't even try to hide it.

  
        Sakae clapped her hands together. "I knew it! She did laugh!"

  
        "You two look like you're having fun," Light interjected into the conversation. "I'm still here, you know."

  
        Kohaku looked at him. "We know. We were ignoring you and your natural glow of boredom."

  
        "Who said I was boring?!" Light shouted, pouting slightly.

  
        "I just did," Kohaku said.

  
        "You concentrate on one thing and never consider the world around you, mister. But, hey, that is your natural personality, bored and over dramatic," Sakae said as a smirk crossed her face.

  
        Light glared at her. "Are you making fun of me?"

  
        "Hey, friends make fun of each other." Kohaku opened up her arms. "While I still feel truly happy, let's have a group hug!"

  
        Sakae looped her arm around Kohaku. "Come on, Light!"

  
        Light sighed and got up. "You guys can be so strange at times." He walked over to them and hugged them.

  
        "I'm going to assume that is your way of saying you love us," Kohaku said, hugging both of her friends tightly.

  
        "I guess you could say that," Light stated as he continued to hug Sakae and Kohaku.

  
        Sakae smiled slightly. "This right here, let's never change it."

  
        Ryuk watched the three silently, taking a bite of yet another damn apple.

* * *

  
        It's later in the afternoon now. The four are still in Light's room. The TV was on like usual.

  
        "We'd like to apologize for the interruption. As of now, we're bringing you a live worldwide broadcast from Interpol, ICPO," the TV announcer said.

  
        "Hm? What's this?" Ryuk questioned.

  
        "Interpol?" Light wondered.

  
        "This might be interesting," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Huh? What's going on?" Sakae asked.

  
        "We now take you live to the ICPO," the TV announcer said.

  
        The TV screen changed from the TV announcer to a man named Lind L. Tailor.

  
        "I head up an International Police Task Force which includes all member nations. I am Lind L. Tailor, otherwise known as L," Lind said on the TV.

  
        "Who is this guy?" Light wondered.

  
        "Hmm…" Kohaku stared at the screen. " _Why do I feel like this is some sort of trap?"_

  
        "That's...that's L? There's no way." Sakae looked at the TV screen, dumbfounded.

  
        " _This is very odd,"_ Kohaku thought.

* * *

  
        At the Japan National Police Agency headquarters, men are standing around, keeping their eyes on the TV.

  
        "So this is how it all begins," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "But, sir, I don't get it," Matsuda said, looking at Mr. Yagami. "He's never actually shown his face before, right? Why would he choose to do it now?"

  
        "It must mean L's serious about this," Mr. Yagami assumed.

  
        "Hmm…" Matsuda looked back at the TV.

  
        " _L, we've followed every single one of your orders. Now, it's time for you to prove what you said to the ICPO,"_ Mr. Yagami thought.

* * *

  
        Lind continued to speak. "Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer. I consider this crime to be the most atrocious act of murder in history. I will not rest until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice. Kira, I will hunt you down. I will find you." Light's eyes widened a bit. Sakae looked a bit nervous. Kohaku was, well, she was unfazed like usual.

  
        "He seems certain he'll catch you," Ryuk said.

  
        "Hmm. That fool. He'll never find us." Light had a crazy look on his face. He picked up the Death Note. "He'll have to get this first. And as long as the police don't find it, none of us will be convicted. That makes catching us absolutely impossible." He sat down in his chair and relaxed. "I anticipated that the police would get involved and that something like this might happen."

  
        " _Actually, there is a chance that we'll end up getting caught but when we are, there is only a 15% chance Sakae and I will be convicted along with Light. We don't write the names. We only just help get them. Me and her aren't exactly killing people,_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        "...Is persons even a word?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Yes," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Really?" Sakae looked at Kohaku. Kohaku nodded. "Wow." Sakae looked back at the TV.

  
        "Kira, I've got a pretty good idea what your motivation might be and I can guess what you hope to achieve. However, what you're doing right now is evil," Lind said.

  
        Light gasped. "You think...that we're evil…?"

  
        "I never thought of it that way…" Kohaku admitted. " _Maybe we are evil…_ "

  
        Light stood up. "We're not evil! We are justice! We protect the innocent and those who fear evil!" He started to become a bit selfish on the matter. "I'm the one who will become the God of a new world that everyone desires! All those who oppose that God, they are the ones who are truly evil!"

  
        "Light, please calm down," Sakae said.

  
        Light opened up the Death Note and readied a pen. He looked at the TV.

  
        "What the hell are you doing?" Kohaku questioned. " _He isn't going to write Lind's name down, is he? Just because the guy pissed him off just by speaking his own opinion?"_

  
        Light talked to the TV. "I guess you're just too stupid, L." A sly smile appeared on Light's face. "Too bad. This could've been a lot more interesting if you'd only been a bit smarter."

  
        "Light, stop!" Kohaku yelled. She realized that this indeed must be a trap.

  
        Light didn't listen and quickly wrote down Lind's name. He started to laugh. "I'll show the world what happens when you cross me. The entire world is watching...L."

  
        "Idiot…" Kohaku muttered, face palming.

  
        "Light, what did you do?!" Sakae yelled slightly.

  
        Lind L. Tailor collapsed on the TV forty seconds later, after gasping and placing his hands on his chest. He was dead. Light gasped then laughed maniacally.

  
        "What's wrong? You've got nothing else to say?" Light laughed some more as two suited men with black sunglasses removed Lind's body from view.

  
        L's symbol appeared on the screen, causing Light to stop laughing. Kohaku mentally thanked the TV for causing Light's horrible evil laugh to stop.

  
        "Ah. I had to test this, just in case, but I-I never thought it would actually happen," L said, his voice modified. "Kira...it seems you can kill people without having to be there in person. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just witnessed it. Listen to me, Kira. If you did, indeed, kill Lind L. Tailor, the man who you just saw die on television, I should tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today. That was not me."

  
        "What?" Light questioned.

  
        "I figured out that this was a trap for Kira. I tried to warn you but you were blinded by rage," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Light yelled.

  
        "Because I had only just figured it out seconds before you wrote the damn name, you moron," Kohaku said, glaring at him.

  
        "It seems she is a lot smarter than you, Light," Ryuk commented.

  
        "With as smart as you are, Light, you couldn't notice one of the most obvious things, even if it smacked you in the face," Sakae said. Kohaku laughed a little.

  
        "The police arrested him in absolute secrecy," L said on the TV, bringing everyone's attention back to the television. "So you wouldn't have heard of him on TV or through the internet. It appears not even you have access to information about these types of criminals."

  
        Ryuk laughed. "He got you there."

  
        "He is very smart," Kohaku commented, moving one of her index fingers to her lips. "I wonder what he really looks like."

  
        "He's definitely got one on Light," Sakae mumbled.

  
        "But I assure you, L is real. I do exist. Now...try to kill me!" L said.

  
        "You...you bastard," Light growled.

  
        "Hmm, you not killing him will give him an idea on who we can kill," Kohaku said.

  
        "Shut up! I know!" Light yelled.

  
        "What's wrong?! Go ahead! Come on, right now! Kill me!" L taunted. "Can't you do it?"

  
        Sakae, Light, Kohaku, and Ryuk stared at the TV.

  
        "Well Kira," L said. "Looks like you can't kill me after all."

  
        Ryuk laughed again.

  
        L continued. "So there are some people you can't kill. You've given me a useful hint. A dealer to a saver. I'll tell you something that I think you'll find interesting. Although this was announced as a worldwide broadcast, the truth is we are only broadcasting in the Kanto region of Japan. I had planned to broadcast this message around the world until we found you, but it looks like that won't be necessary. I know now where you are."

  
        Ryuk, once again, laughed. "This L guy is pretty good."

  
        "Mhm," Kohaku agreed. Sakae remained quiet.

  
        "The police treated your first killing as an unrelated incident, but in actuality, the first of your victims was a suspect in Sinjuku," L said. "Of all the criminals that recently died of heart attacks, this one's crime was, by far, the least serious. Furthermore, his crime was only ever reported inside Japan. I used that information to deduce this much: you are in Japan and your first victim was little more than an experiment, which means you haven't been killing for very long. We decided to broadcast in Kanto first because of its large population and, luckily, we found you."

  
        "First time's the charm apparently," Kohaku commented.

  
        "He's guessed almost everything," Sakae said.

  
        "To be completely honest with you," L said. "I never expected it would go this well. But it won't be too long now before I'll be able to sentence you to death. Naturally, I am very interested to know how you're able to commit these murder without being present...but I don't mind waiting a little bit longer. You can answer all of my questions when I catch you… Let's meet again soon, Kira."

  
        The broadcast cut out, leaving the TV screen snowy, a fuzzy sound filling the quiet room.

  
        "Really? He's going to sentence us to death? Sounds interesting. I accept your challenge L… L, I will hunt you down wherever you're hiding and I will eliminate you," Light said. "I am justice!"

  
        "Hey Justice," Kohaku teased a little. "I don't know how you'll react to this but um… I don't want to help you get names anymore."

  
        "What? Why would you say that? Sakae, are you still in this with me?" Light turned to Sakae.

  
        "I…" Sakae hesitated for a moment. "I...agree with her. I was against this from the beginning and should have never agreed to it in the first place. I'm sorry, Light."

  
        "I was fine with it just being criminals. You want to kill L. He isn't a criminal. I am against having innocent people killed. I don't want to be involved with that..." Kohaku explained, frowning. "But don't worry. We won't turn you in. We're still your best friends. We don't agree with what you are doing anymore but we are still your friends."

  
        Light slammed his fist against his desk. "Get out. Both of you."

  
        Sakae blinked, confused. "W-What?"

  
        "I said get out!" Light screamed at them.

  
        "Light… Please don't be mad," Kohaku said. "I know this was my plan to begin with but I… I didn't know that innocent people would end up getting involved."

  
        "Just leave before I do something I may regret." Light glared at the desk, refusing to look at the girls.

  
        Sakae tugged slightly on Kohaku. "We...better give him some space for now."

  
        "...Okay…" Kohaku responded quietly.

  
        Sakae and Kohaku left.

  
        Light stared at the Death Note. "I'll do this on my own if I have to."

  
        "You do that, kid," Ryuk said as he munched on an apple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are confused:  
> -Sakae never wanted to get involved but was practically peer pressured.  
> -Kohaku only wanted criminals to die but seeing that Light didn't hesitate to kill Lind, whether he was innocent or not, and seeing that he wants L dead, and L is a detective, she is now against what she had started. Her personality is all over the place also.  
> -Both of them will be against Light killing innocent people (slight spoiler there for those who never seen the show) but that will not make them hate Light, at least not completely (as of right now for a certain someone). They currently care about him deeply because he is their best friend.  
> -Light is only angry with them. He will not harm them since, as he said himself, they mean too much to him.


	4. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku has a moment with her parents. Sakae has a moment with her brother. Stuff with L happens. Light forgives his best-friends. Someone stalks Light, Sakae, and Kohaku.

        Kohaku walked into the dining room of her home. Her parents were eating. She hadn't socialized with her parents for quite sometime. She would just go straight to her room and try to sleep as her father yelled at her mom over something that wasn't her fault. He often complained about her behavior but she didn't see why. She wasn't the son he had always wanted. She was the daughter that he never wanted. Her mother would yell back at him sometimes, defending Kohaku. Why? Kohaku didn't know…

  
        "You're home early," Kyo, her father said.

  
        Kohaku remained silent. She never really talked to them so why should she start now? He was going to start yelling soon enough, anyways.

  
        "Is something wrong?" Yue, her mother, questioned, looking at her with concern that confused Kohaku greatly. Why did she care?

  
        Kohaku couldn't take it. The stress was getting to her. She started crying. Her parents quickly got up and went over to her.

  
        "What's wrong?" Kyo questioned. "Did something happen?"

  
        "You can tell us anything," Yue said, pulling Kohaku into a hug.

  
        Kohaku didn't understand why they were acting as if they cared about her but she wasn't just going to let this sudden change in attitude go to waste. "My friend...hates me; I know he does." She sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

  
        "Tell us what happened," Kyo demanded. Her parents knew of Light Yagami. They are friends with his mother.

  
        "I made... a plan and I backed out of it. He… Light… he didn't like that very much and he kicked me out of his house along with Sakae," Kohaku sobbed.

  
        "Oh sweetheart," Yue said in a reassuring tone. "He is probably just angry. He was probably looking forward to these plans you made. Just give it some time and he'll come around."

  
        "Why do you care so much about me so suddenly?" Kohaku had to know the truth. "You guys wanted a son… not a daughter… You could've just had another kid and got rid of me…"

  
        Kyo sighed. "Yes, that is indeed true but we love you because you are what God wanted us to have."

  
        Kohaku sniffled. She didn't understand what he meant but didn't question it. "Why do you always yell at mom about me?"

  
        "Because I've been so stressed with work and I was also just worried that you were doing inappropriate things," Kyo sighed again. "You are my little girl after all."

  
        "You guys are so confusing," Kohaku pouted, wiping her tears and moving out of her mother's arms to stare at both of her parents. They smiled and laughed a little.

  
        "Well, parents are always going to be confusing. We do the things we do because we care," Yue said.

  
        "You made me wear boy clothes when I was little because you cared?" Kohaku questioned, confused.

  
        "Bad example," Kyo commented.

  
        Kohaku laughed a little, surprising her parents.

  
        "I've never heard you laugh. It's so beautiful," Yue said, tears forming in her eyes now. "My baby is growing up!"

  
        "About...my name…" Kohaku hesitated.

  
        "Sorry," Kyo said.

  
        Yue wiped away a few tears that managed to go down her face. "We had been hoping you'd be a boy, obviously, and we didn't want to get a ultrasound to be sure because, well, we were stupid. First time parents can be stupid."

  
        "No kidding," Kohaku commented. "So...you guys do love me… You don't think I am a mistake?"

  
        "Of course not!" Kyo exclaimed. "You were a surprise!"

  
        "We made you wear boy clothes when you were little and around when you were five, we realized we should just be happy with the way you were. We tried to change your wardrobe and you know what you said?" Yue smiled at Kohaku a little.

  
        Kohaku nodded, recalling the memory. "I love boy clothes. They are comfortable."

  
        "I thought we turned you into a lesbian," Kyo admitted.

  
        Kohaku scoffed. "At five years old?"

  
        Kyo gave her a look but smiled a little bit.

  
        "I'm sorry it didn't seem to you like we care but we do care. We just...have a hard time showing it, especially when you are always in your room or with your friends," Yue said.

  
        "Sorry," Kohaku apologized sheepishly. "It's...how I am…"

  
        "You should get some sleep," Kyo said. "And I promise I won't yell anymore so you can sleep!"

  
        Kohaku smiled. "Okay…" She headed out of the dining room. She looked back at her parents. "Love you. Night." She headed to her room.

  
        "Love you too!" Yue called out.

  
        "We're getting better," Kyo said. "Why didn't we ever try for a boy?"

  
        "Cause we were stupid," Yue said. "But I'm glad we were. I'm perfectly happy with just having our lovely, wonderful daughter."

  
        Kyo smiled and kissed Yue. "Me too."

* * *

        Sakae walked along her home street, thoughts evading her mind every second. She knew that things were not right but in someone else's mind, they seemed right. The minute you try to convince them otherwise, suddenly they become one of your greatest enemies. She stopped and leaned against a brick wall. "Why can't everything just work out how they should?"

  
        "Sakae!" Someone called out to her.

  
        Sakae looked up to her brother, Ryuichi, heading toward her. He was holding a suitcase, signaling that he may have just got off work. Sakae got off the wall and walked towards her brother. "Hey, Ryu, how was work?"

  
        She received a shrug. "It was work. Now, come inside." Ryuichi signaled for Sakae to follow him. Sakae began to walk towards him. Her brother… He stood a foot over her with shaggy red hair that fell past his ears and her same greyish blue eyes that held regret no matter what. Sakae looked at the ground as she and her brother walked towards their small two-bedroom apartment.

  
        "What happened today?" Ryuichi asked all of a sudden.

  
        Sakae crossed her arms over her chest. "Kohaku and I are just in a slight disagreement with Light. No big deal."

  
        "I see. What about?" Ryuichi questioned.

  
        "It's nothing to worry about," Sakae said before heading upstairs of the apartment building.

  
        Ryuichi unlocked the door to the apartment and the two walked in. Sakae walked straight into the kitchen and looked for something to eat.

  
        "I'm going to fix dinner; do you want some?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "No." Sakae pulled out an apple from the fridge. "I'm not that hungry."

  
        "Then when will you ever eat with me again, Sakae? This grudge can't go on forever." Ryuichi stared at her.

  
        Sakae looked at her brother with a slight glare in her eyes. "The day you realize you can't control everything I do!" She headed to her room and slammed the door, leaving Ryuichi slightly stunned.

  
        He sighed slightly and looked at where his younger sister once stood. There was no way he was going to leave things like they were. Ryuichi walked to his sister's room and knocked on the door. "Sakae, please open the door."

  
        "Why?" He heard from behind the door.

  
        "Can we please just talk?" He pleaded slightly.

  
        The door opened. "Why?" Sakae stared at him

  
        Ryuichi pulled Sakae into a tight hug. "I know…you are mad at me…but you are still my little sister. I don't want to see you hurt." He didn't expect anything to happen. It surprised him when he began to feel Sakae's arms wrap around him. "A-Are you okay, Sakae?"

  
        Sakae pressed her face into her brother's shirt to hide her tears. "Ryu…I'm scared…" Tears began to fall down her cheeks.

  
        "What's wrong, sweetie?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "Light…he's changing and…he basically sent Kohaku and me away because we didn't agree with him anymore. I'm scared of what will happen to our friendship…and the world." Sakae cried slightly.

  
        Ryuichi patted his little sister's head to try and comfort her. "It's okay, Sakae. Everything will be fine. I'll always be here."

  
        She nodded slight, sniffling. "Thank you, Ryu."

  
        "You're welcome, Sakae." Ryuichi replied. "Shall we go eat dinner?" He pulled away from the hug.

  
        Sakae smiled while wiping her tears away. "Sure."

* * *

        At the ICPO headquarters, men are gathered in an office sitting in desks. People had been reporting that they knew, seen, or were Kira. Also, the ICPO learned that on the weekdays, the killings had happened at a certain time period, between 4:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M., and on the weekends, killings took place at random times. Watari stood behind the men, holding the laptop with the screen showing L's symbol.

  
        "That information is extremely relevant for us," L said with the voice modifier. "It suggests that given the times of death, our suspect could very well be a student." Everyone turned towards the laptop, a few men murmuring to themselves. "Based on the fact that Kira's only killing criminals, I think it's safe to assume he's being driven by a very idealistic notion of justice. It's highly possible he may even aspire to be a God-like figure. We're dealing with an individual who had a very childish concept of right and wrong. Of course, this is all speculation at this point. However, I do recommend you re-examine any assumptions you made on rather or not our suspect could be a student. We must consider every possibility. I do believe that it is the shortest route to finding and arresting Kira. Please continue with your report."

  
        "Hm? Oh, right." Mr. Yagami looked around. "Is there anyone else that has something they'd like to add?"

  
        Matsuda raised his hand. "Uh, yes sir."

  
        "What is it, Matsuda?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Um, well, I'm not saying this to support Kira but for the last few days throughout the world but especially here in Japan, we observed a dramatic decrease in the number of violent crimes committed."

  
        The men around him looked annoyed because they already expected something like that to happen. There wasn't really a need for him to say anything about it. Matsuda looked around the room in slight panic.

  
        "Well," Mr. Yagami said. "I suppose it makes sense. We suspected something like that would happen. Anything else?"

  
        Matsuda sat back down silently. He must've been a bit embarrassed.

  
        "Well that about sums up our report for today," Mr. Yagami said. "L."

  
        "Thank you everyone. I feel we are one step closer to finding Kira. Before I go, I'm afraid I have one additional request to make. This is to the teams investigating the victims, TV news, and internet. I would like you to go back and take a closer look at the exact way in which the victims identities were made public. Be as thorough as possible. In particular, I want to know if photos of the victims were available to the public in Japan. I'll leave it to you," L said.

  
        The meeting was over.

* * *

        Light was helping Sayu with her homework at his desk. Ryu is laying on Light's bed, watching.

  
        "I knew I could count on you, Light," Sayu said. "Why did Sakae and Kohaku leave early? Did something happen?"

  
        Light avoided the question. "You think you can try a few on your own now?"

  
        "Huh?" Sayu was distracted. "Yeah, I guess so."

  
        They heard the doorbell ring.

  
        "Sounds like Dad's home," Sayu stated, standing up. "He's home really early today." She headed to leave Light's room.

  
        "Hey," Light said. "Why don't you at least try the last problem by yourself?"

  
        "I will," Sayu said. "But maybe after dinner." She left the room.

  
        "Yeah right," Light mumbled.

  
        "Helping your sister with your homework again. You sure are relaxed," Ryuk said.

  
        "Oh course," Light replied. "If the police try to come after me, I'm pretty confident I've got something that'll give me the advantage."

  
        At dinner, Light, Sayu, and their parents ate silently for a bit before starting a conversation. No one, however, mentioned Sakae and Kohaku's absence.

  
        "So Light, tell me, how are your studies going?" Mr. Yagami asked before putting food in his mouth.

  
        "Everything's okay I guess," Light replied before putting food into his mouth as well.

  
        "He's at the top of his class," Sayu said. "My big brother's a genius."

  
        "That's my son. We're all proud of you Light," Mrs. Yagami said.

  
        Light looked at Mr. Yagami. "You doing okay, Dad? You look tired."

  
        "Yeah," Mr. Yagami replied. "I'm not able to say too much about it but this case I'm working on now, it's really tiring."

  
        Once dinner was over, Light headed back to his room and got onto his computer.

  
        "Well, well. Daddy's a policeman," Ryuk said. "And that must be the reason why you're so confident."

  
        "That's right. It's easy for me to hack into dad's computer; we're on a whole network so I can copy the files I need without leaving a trace. This way, I can keep track of the investigation," Light said.

  
        Light looks through the files and after reading some information, he leaned back in his chair. "Well, isn't that interesting. It looks like the police are already beginning to suspect a student."

  
        Ryuk chuckled. "I guess that means you're in trouble."

  
        Light started reciting the rules of the Death Note. "...That sound about right?"

  
        "So what's your point?" Ryuk questioned him.

  
        "I think I found a way to entertain you more," Light stated.

* * *

        Two days have went by. Throughout the school days, during school hours, criminals had been having heart attacks at certain times. It was currently lunchtime at the high school. Kohaku is sitting alone at a table in the classroom, away from everyone else.

  
        Sakae walked over to Kohaku. "Do you want something to drink?"

  
        "No thanks." Kohaku stared at the table.

  
        "Okay then." Sakae walked out of the classroom. She went over to a vending machine and looked through the options. "Hmm...what looks good?" She settled for a simple strawberry juice. Sakae turned to head back to the classroom.

  
        "Hey, Sakae," she heard someone call from behind her.

  
        Sakae turned around to see Light standing not too far from her with Ryuk behind him. She glared slightly. "What do you want, Light?" She began to sip on her juice.

  
        "I wanted to...apologize," Light stated, rubbing the back of his head.

  
        Sakae was shocked and accidentally sprayed some juice on Light. "Oh my! I'm so sorry."

  
        "It's fine. Just, do you accept my apology?" Light asked her.

  
        "I guess I could but you were a real asshole, Light. It may take sometime to completely forgive you," she told him.

  
        Light nodded. "I understand. I really regret how I treated the two of you."

  
        Sakae crossed her arms over her chest. "I know. You do still have to think of others, Light." She let out a small sigh. "Come on. You still have to apologize to Kohaku."

  
        Light nodded slightly. "I know."

  
        "Come on." She headed back to the classroom with Light. They both went over to where Kohaku sat. Kohaku was still staring at the table. "Hey, Kohaku."

  
        "Hi." She didn't look up.

  
        "Got someone here who wishes to apologize for what he did/said," Sakae said. Kohaku didn't answer. She kept staring at the table. Sakae waved her hand in front of Kohaku's face. "Um...hello?"

  
        Kohaku's gaze on the table broke. She looked at Sakae. "I was thinking about something."

  
        Sakae sat down at the table with her, sitting across from her. "What about?"

  
        "Things." Kohaku looked at the table again.

  
        "Things?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Yeah. Things." Kohaku thinks for a moment and tilts her head a bit. "Are you always so curious about what I think about?"

  
        "Simple answer: Yes," Sakae said.

  
        Kohaku stared at Sakae for a few moments. "M'kay." She looked at Light who was still standing, watching her and Sakae silently. "You just gonna stand and look handsome or are you going to sit down?"

  
        "You're not still mad at me?" Light asked her.

  
        "All guys get mad when plans change. So no, I am not mad at how you reacted. Now sit down before I throw a chair at you," Kohaku said.

  
        "Okay, okay." Light sat down in the chair beside Kohaku. "Can I still apologize to you?"

  
        "No." Kohaku poked his cheek. "That's just stupid. I already have forgiven you. You'd be apologizing for nothing."

  
        He nodded. "Alright then."

  
        Sakae sipped on her juice as she stared at the two. "So, can everything go back to normal?"

  
        "Define normal," Kohaku said.

  
        "How it was before we found the notebook," Sakae clarified.

  
        "That I really don't know about," Light said.

  
        "Sakae, I doubt Light will stop using it until this world is...evil-less." Kohaku sighed. "That could take years."

  
        "But that doesn't mean we still can't have the relationship we use to have," Sakae stated.

  
        "It'll be a rather...tense one," Kohaku said. "I doubt it will be the same as it was."

  
        Sakae leaned back in her chair and nodded. "Okay, I understand."

  
        "Things may be the same but the friendship will never be the same," Light told Sakae.

  
        "So, kill anyone lately?" Kohaku asked Light quietly.

  
        "Perhaps," Light said.

  
        "I'll take that has a yes," Sakae commented.

  
        "Just tell me exactly what you've done so I can tell you if you are an idiot or not," Kohaku demanded.

  
        "May I ask why I need to reveal what I have done within the past few days?" Light asked her in a mocking tone.

  
        She looked at him. "You know what. Forget it. I'm not even going to try to help you keep your identity as Kira secret." She stood up. "I'm sitting somewhere else."

  
        "Wait, Kohaku, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in that way," Light apologized.

  
        "Hmph." Kohaku sat back down. "I hate you sometimes."

  
        "Yet, we are still best friends," Light replied. Sakae smiled a little. Kohaku sighed. Light laughed slightly.

  
        "This sure is one interesting day," Sakae commented

  
        "I'm bored," Kohaku stated.

  
        "It's only lunch, what can you expect to happen, Kohaku," Sakae said.

  
        "I need more excitement," Kohaku said.

  
        "Like?" Both Sakae and Light said at the same time.

  
        "Hell if I know." Kohaku smiled a little.

  
        "Hmm…?" Sakae thought for a moment. "Definitely an interesting day, at the very least."

* * *

        A week went by. Some of the police involved in the Kira investigation had quit because of fearing they'd be killed by Kira. FBI agents had arrived in Japan just four days before. L is determined to find Kira, even if it kills him.

  
        Light, Sakae, and Kohaku are walking to Light's house. It's really late. They are walking silently. Ryuk is with them.

  
        "Light, you got a second?" Ryuk asked.

  
        "I already told you, Ryuk. You can't talk to me in public," Light said quietly.

  
        "You could at least act like you are on your phone or something," Kohaku suggested in a hushed tone. "Also, no one is even around."

  
        "I just want to say that I am not on your side or L's," Ryuk said.

  
        "No one cares," Kohaku commented softly.

  
        "Just wanted to let you know," Ryuk said. "Also, you are being followed by another human. He is watching right now."

  
        The three friends stopped walking. At that very moment, the three seemed to forget all about Ryuk. A mysterious dark figure was hiding behind an object.

  
        "Shit, really?" Sakae whispered.

  
        "Stalker much?" Kohaku whispered.

  
        "Something tells me we should act a little bit more naturally than we currently are," Light told the both of them.

  
        "No shit," Kohaku hissed quietly. She started walking again, her friends following her. "So, is it really okay for Sakae and I to stay over at your place tonight for a sleepover, Light?"

  
        "That sounds like a great idea. Just have to ask my parents when we get there," Light said with a slight smile.

  
        "Awesome... So... Exactly what is suppose to happen at sleepovers? I've never been to one or had one," Kohaku said. "Is it fun?"

  
        "They can be lots of fun, just depends on what you call fun. Like staying up late and watching movies, prank calling people, playing games, and all sorts of stuff," Sakae said cheerfully as she clapped her hands together.

  
        "That sounds interesting I guess. Hmm." Kohaku continued walking a little ahead of her friends. "Do you two always walk so slow? Or do I just walk too fast?"

  
        "Right now, you're just walking fast," Light commented, receiving agreement from Sakae.

  
        "Hmph." She walked faster.

  
        "Hey, wait up!" Sakae shouted slightly as she ran up to Kohaku. "You seem a little bit more irritated today for some reason."

  
        "Eh. So, you think Sudo is ever going to get back at me for crushing his ego?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "Something tells me he would have done it by now if he really wanted to," Light said.

  
        "Or he could've forgotten since he is in fact an idiot." Kohaku shook her head. "Then again, almost all guys are complete idiots."

  
        "I'm guess I'm one of the expectations?" Light asked.

  
        "Well... You are an idiot. Just not a complete idiot," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Um...thanks?" Light said, confused.

  
        Sakae laughed a little. "Let's head on so we can get the party started!"

  
        "We still gotta get permission from Mr. and Mrs. Yagami," Kohaku said. "We can't "party" until we know we can stay over."

  
        "Spoilsport," Sakae said with a pout.

  
        "Well, the faster we get there, the faster we can find out," Light commented.

  
        "Pffft, you are the one taking forever," Kohaku told him. "Slow poke."

  
        "Don't call me a slow poke," Light said before speeding up to catch up with his two friends.

  
        "Hmm... RACE YOU THERE!" Kohaku's sudden cheerful yell surprised Light and Sakae a bit. Kohaku took off running. Her personality really was all over the place…

  
        "Good luck beat me!" Sakae yelled as she ran up beside Kohaku.

  
        "I'm not a runner, you two!" Light yelled as he tried to catch up with the two girls.

  
        "We know!" The girls called back to him, laughing as they ran further ahead of him.

  
        "And laughing at me too. Fantastic!" He mumbled to himself before catching up to them at his house, Ryuk, and the "stalker", silently following him and keeping pace with him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku's personality is indeed all over the place: Odd, Awkward, Intelligent, Caring, Friendly and Unfriendly, Hot-Headed-ish, Social & Anti-Social, Quiet and Talkactive, Sensitive-ish, Adventurous, Lovable, Tough/Strong, Cheerful-ish, and Bitchy-ish.


	5. Bus Jacking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically follows that episode where the bus was, well, jacked. XD

        Kohaku and Sakae had stayed over at Light's house for a night. That night, while Sakae was explaining to Kohaku how sleepovers work, Ryuk told Light about the Shinigami eyes. Light refused to give up half of his remaining lifespan to have the ability to see everyone's names and lifespan. That same night, Light decided to test out the rules of the notebook, there are quite a lot of rules that hadn't been written but were explained by Ryuk at one point, and got his results the next day. And not only did Light get his results, the ICPO were surprised by the odd behavior of three criminals before they died and L knew that the criminals were test subjects.

  
        Kohaku and Sakae were chilling on Light's bed, watching and listening to Ryuk and Light's conversation on the matter. Light was sitting at his desk as usual, on his computer with Ryuk standing right behind him.

  
        "The results of yesterday's test are already downloaded onto my dad's computer," Light said. "It's just as I expected. The Death Note will work for what I have in mind."

  
        Kohaku and Sakae shared a look of discomfort. What was their best-friend plotting?

  
        "One of the criminals escaped and ran into the bathroom I had specified in the Death Note. Another had drew the same symbol I had drawn in the Death Note before he died. The last one wrote the same letter I had written in the death note, word for word," Light stated. "All three did exactly what I intended for them to do. For the other three inmates, I purposely wrote conditions that were impossible. For the first one, I wrote that he would die in front of the Eiffel Tower in one hour. However, everyone knows that it's physically impossible to get from a prison in Japan to Paris, France in only a hour so he simply died of a heart attack. The next was suppose to draw an exact picture of L's face on the prison wall. This also didn't happen. You can't draw someone you never seen. Lastly, I tried something slightly different. I specified that he would write a note that read: 'I know that L is suspicious of the Japanese police'. To be honest, I thought it would work but it didn't end up happening, which means it's impossible to make someone write what they don't already know or at the very least, it has to be the kind of thing they can come up with on their own. Basically, the Death Note can do the impossible as long as it is in the realistic limits of what the person might do. I can control them as much as I want before they die."

  
        "You talk a lot," Kohaku commented.

  
        "But...that is a lot of stuff to know. Light, that was a bit cruel," Sakae stated.

  
        "Cruel? In what way?" Light asked her, turning his chair to look at her as Ryuk step aside and become completely unnoticed once again.

  
        "Well...you're forcing someone to do something against their will while also killing them in the process. Not only that, you used them as test subjects," Sakae answered.

  
        "Exactly and I am sure L will immediately realize that these were just tests," Kohaku said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly starts suspecting you as Kira."

  
        "How can he when he doesn't know me?" Light asked.

  
        "Never underestimate someone," Sakae commented.

  
        "Mhm," Kohaku agreed. "Especially someone like L."

  
        "Are you saying that I could never beat him then?" Light asked in a irritated tone.

  
        "We didn't say that. We just gave some advice," Sakae replied.

  
        "I thought it," Kohaku admitted. "I do believe that you cannot beat L."

  
        "Oh no..." Sakae sweat-dropped. Sometimes she wished Kohaku would keep her opinions to herself...

  
        "What makes you say that?!" Light yelled. It's rather odd how Light's family seemed to never hear him yell whenever he yelled. Very odd indeed... Light was looking at Kohaku now.

  
        "Well, you haven't been doing this for long. L has been working on cases for quite a while. You are practically a...noob at killing people... sorta," Kohaku said. "A very smart, dangerous sorta noob."

  
        "A noob…?! A NOOB?!" Light yelled, standing up.

  
        "Hey, hey, calm down. We don't need any bad blood right now," Sakae said, trying to calm things down.

  
        Kohaku laughed a little. "If you weren't such a hothead, Light, I'd totally fall for you."

  
        "Don't call me a hothead! Wait...what was that?" Light asked her. He went from angry to surprised. He had the mood swings of a female on their period.

  
        Kohaku laughed a bit more. "Oh nothing. I simply just said that if you weren't such a hothead, I'd totally fall for you."

  
        "Like...love or something?" Light asked, confused.

  
        "Aww," Sakae cooed as she smiled. "A young naive Light." Kohaku smiled a bit and continued to laugh.

  
        "Naive? I'm nowhere near close to being naive," Light stated as he sat back in his chair.

  
        "Then why did you seem to freak out when Kohaku mentioned she could have fell for you?" Sakae asked.

  
        "I did not freak out. It's just a concept I'm not familiar with," Light replied, crossing his arms.

  
        "Whatever you say buddy," Kohaku commented.

  
        "You may be smart with the books, Light, but when it comes to love, you may not have the same IQ for it," Sakae stated. Kohaku started laughing again.

  
        "Why are you laughing again, Kohaku?" Light asked, staring at her.

  
        "That was funny; what Sakae said," Kohaku laughed.

  
        "I do happen to know a little bit about love," Light mumbled.

  
        "Pfft, like what?" Kohaku questioned, no longer laughing.

  
        "Nothing," Light replied back.

  
        Kohaku stared at him. "You are so odd sometimes."

  
        "Pretty sure I heard love in there somewhere," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "You two made me lose my train of thought." Light went back to what he was doing. "Alright, time for the real thing."

  
        "Real thing?" Ryuk, Sakae, and Kohaku questioned at once.

  
        Light was looking at a picture of a man, writing down stuff in the Death Note. "Yesterday on the news, they said this drug addict tried to rob a bank but was unsuccessful. He attacked a few people and ran away empty handed."

  
        "You are going to use him to find out who our "stalker" is," Kohaku stated, understanding what he was doing.

  
        Light nodded and looked at the girls. "Now all I need is a date."

  
        "Not it!" Kohaku yelled.

  
        "Um...what?" Sakae said, confused. "What just happened?"

  
        "For my plan to work, I need to pretend I am on a date," Light explained.

  
        "Still not it," Kohaku said normally this time. "Fake or not, don't want my sorta first date to be with my best-friend."

  
        "It would definitely be a bit strange," Sakae stated.

  
        "It's just pretend. It's not going to be considered a first date either," Light said.

  
        "Not doing it," Kohaku stated.

  
        "May I ask why?" Light asked.

  
        "You aren't my type," Kohaku said, smirking slightly. "You are way too hotheaded for me to fake date. Also, it would be weird to fake date my best friend like I kinda said moments ago."

  
        "Okay then. What about you, Sakae?" Light asked Sakae.

  
        "Um...I don't know," she replied.

  
        "You don't know?" Light said.

  
        Sakae nodded slightly. "I don't know if I want to do it. I want to, because you're my friend. But at the same time, I don't want to because it would feel awkward with you being my friend."

  
        "You two figure this shit out." Kohaku laid down on the bed and curled up. "I am gonna nap." She was asleep seconds after she closed her eyes.

  
        Sakae quickly shook her head. "I don't think I want to do it."

  
        "Really, you two?" Light said.

  
        "I think Kohaku is asleep. But, sorry Light. This just doesn't feel right," Sakae replied, looking down at her feet.

  
        "I can't force you. I understand if you don't want to," Light said to reassure her.

  
        Sakae smiled slightly. "Thanks. I'm sure there are plenty of girls who would want to go out with you."

  
        Light nodded. "Yes, I am sure on that one."

* * *

        Yuri, the lucky girl to be Light's fake date, and Light stood by a bus stop, waiting for the bus to arrive. Ryuk was with them and he was curious about what the plan was since he didn't bother reading the Death Note. The "stalker" was nearby, watching the "couple". The "stalker" was Raye Penber, a FBI agent. Eventually, the bus came and Light & Yuri got on, followed by the Raye and Ryuk. Light and Yuri sat around the back, Raye sitting behind them. Ryuk was silent, waiting for something interesting to happen.

  
        "I don't get it Light," Yuri said, looking at him. "Didn't you say you weren't going out until the entrance exams were over?"

  
        "That was before I scored number one of the national practice exams," Light replied.

  
        "Eww, you're such a nerd," Yuri teased, giggling a little.

  
        At exactly 11:31 A.M., the drug addict Kiichiro Osoreda entered the bus and, shortly after it started moving again, pulled out a gun and pointed it at the driver.

  
        "Stay in your seats unless you wanna die!" Kiichiro exclaimed. Everyone, minus Light and Raye, were afraid. Kiichiro looked at the passengers. "Everyone shut up! Anybody moves and I'm putting a bullet in their head!" He looked at the driver. "Alright driver. You listen to me. I know you got the number for Spaceland. Call them."

  
        "Okay." The driver phones Spaceland as he drives. The driver tells the person on the phone what's going on as Kiichiro instructs him. Kiichiro ripped the phone outta the driver's hand.

  
        "You heard what he said," Kiichiro told the person on the phone. "Now you listen up!" Kiichiro faced the passengers again, speaking to the person on the phone still. "Have a female staff member bring all of Spaceland's cash from yesterday. I know it's there. Have her meet us two bus stops from the park and don't make me wait. If you mess with me or try to get the police involved, I swear I will kill everyone of these passengers." He dropped the phone and mashed it.

  
        Yuri was shaking in her seat. Light poked her. She glanced towards him and saw he wrote a note. Raye looks over their seat and shoulders to see it too:

  
         _Yuri, don't be scared. As soon as he turns around, I'm gonna grab the gun outta his hand._

  
        "Don't be stupid," Raye told them. "That's risky. If it comes to it, I'll take care of him."

  
        Light started to write on the paper.

  
        "It's okay. You don't have to pass notes back and forth. As long as we keep it down, he won't hear us," Raye said.

  
        Light shoved the paper in his jacket pocket. "You have any proof that you aren't his accomplice? Why should we trust you?"

  
        "Accomplice?" Yuri questioned.

  
        "Yeah, I read about this before," Light said. "The first hijacker comes in and acts like he's working alone. Meanwhile, a second one pretends to be a hostage and stays in the very back in case something goes wrong." Light noticed Yuri become more panicked. "What's the matter?"

  
        "You… You really think he is one?" she asked him.

  
        Raye handed Light his ID, allowing Light to get his name. Light stared at the ID for a few moments before giving it back.

  
        "I trust you," Light stated. "I guess for the time being, I won't ask why a FBI agent is on a bus. Do you have a gun?"

  
        "Yeah. I do," Raye said.

  
        "So when it comes down to it, I can rely on you right?" Light questioned him.

  
        "Yes," Raye said.

  
        Kiichiro pointed and yelled at random passengers. Light "accidently" dropped his note and leaned to get it. Kiichiro pointed his gun at him.

  
        "Don't move you little punk! What's that?!" Kiichiro yelled.

  
        Light stared at him unfazed.

  
        "Smartass. You were planning something weren't you?!" Kiichiro yelled. He picked up the small piece of paper and read it. "Plans for a date, huh? Stupid kid." He tossed the paper at Light who caught it. He began moving back to the front of the bus and felt something behind him. He turned and began frightened. He could see Ryuk. He pointed his gun at him. "Who the hell are you?! You in the back! What are you doing?! Don't mess with me!"

  
        "You can see me?" Ryuk questioned, stepping closer to him.

  
        "Everyone get down!" Raye yelled. Everyone did as told.

  
        Ryuk moved closer to Kiichiro, who started to shoot at Ryuk and the bullets were going thru him. "I get it now."

  
        Kiichiro ran out of ammo and ran to the driver. "Stop the bus!" Raye got out of his seat and ran towards Kiichiro.

  
        The driver did as he was told and Kiichiro ran out the bus, tripping and getting hit by a car at exactly 11:45 AM, just as Light wanted.

  
        " _The Death Note never seems to fail_ ," Light thought, looking at his watch while everyone looked out the window at Kiichiro's corpse...


	6. FBI Agents and Disappointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down! I ain't spoiling shit!

        Light returned to his home since his fake date was over. It was the afternoon. He walked into his home and was a bit surprised to see Kohaku and Sakae sitting on the floor, watching TV with Sayu, when he went by the living room. Kohaku was squatting while Sayu was kneeling and Sakae was sitting crossed legged.

  
        Sakae looked over and saw Light walk into the room. "Hey, how was your date, Light?"

  
        "You went on a date?" Sayu asked him, confused.

  
        "Yea, but it was just with a friend," Light responded.

  
        Kohaku stands up. "Well, you have fun at least?"

  
        "Well...the bus we were on got hijacked," Light said, calmly.

  
        "What?! Is everyone okay?!" Sayu asked, panicked.

  
        "Hmm...how strange is that," Sakae commented, looking towards Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku didn't notice Sakae looking at her. "Being on a bus that gets hijacked isn't very fun. Must've been a lame date."

  
        "No one was hurt per say, just the killer," Light told Sayu.

  
        "Did something happen to him?" Sayu asked, once again.

  
        "He was ran over by a car," Light replied.

  
        "Just love asking questions, don't you, Sayu?" Sakae commented.

  
        "Least no one was shot," Kohaku commented, still on the killer topic. "It's rather painful."

  
        "You know what it's like to get shot?" Sakae asked her.

  
        "Mhm." Kohaku stretched. "I've been shot before. Like I said, it's rather painful; an excruciating burning sensation."

  
        Sakae shivered a bit. "That...does not sounds fun."

  
        "That's an experience not everyone wishes to live through," Light mentioned.

  
        "I don't see how you two didn't know this. Happened about several months ago." Kohaku headed to Light's room. " _About three months before this whole Kira incident._ "

  
        Sakae got up and stretched. "You never really told us. And when we asked about the wound, you just shot us down." She followed Kohaku.

  
        Light followed the two girls. "Where are you two going?"

  
        "To our hangout of course," Kohaku stated.

  
        As soon as the three, plus Ryuk who was following silently, walked into Light's room, Kohaku jumped onto Light's bed, laying on it. Sakae sat at the edge. Light remained standing.

  
        "So...you know his name then?" Sakae questioned. "The stalker's name?"

  
        "Raye Penber. He is a FBI agent." Light opened up the Death Note and stared at it.

  
        "Are you...going to kill him?" Sakae hesitated to ask.

  
        "Not yet," Light said, honestly. "I'm gonna wait a week before I do so." He closed the Death Note and put it away.

  
        "Why do you have to kill him?" Kohaku asked, sitting up on Light's bed.

  
        "That's my question as well. He hasn't really done anything," Sakae said.

  
        "He's a threat," Light stated.

  
        "How exactly?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "He could find out that I'm Kira," Light said.

  
        "I'm pretty sure the only person who'd find out you are Kira is L," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Consider the fact the Death Note stays here...Kohaku is right. There isn't really a way for him to find out you're Kira," Sakae said.

  
        "It's better to be safe than sorry," Light commented.

  
        "Yea, says someone who has a fire ready to keep someone from finding the Death Note," Sakae teased lightly. Kohaku nodded in agreement.

  
        "Are you making fun of me?" Light asked.

  
        "Maybe." Sakae smiled slightly for a few moments before frowning. "I can understand that you are cautious, Light, but you would be killing innocent bystander."

  
        "Agreed," Kohaku commented. "But I doubt that'll stop you from killing Raye, Light. You don't listen to our advice...ever."

  
        "You two aren't involved with this; so, my decision are for my own to make," Light said.

  
        "It's still good to take in some input, Light," Sakae stated.

  
        "Let the idiot do as he wishes," Kohaku said, patting Sakae's head. "If he gets caught, it's his own damn fault." Sakae nodded.

  
        "Thanks for a least understanding that much," Light thanked Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku got up and hugged Light. "...Don't be stupid."

  
        Sakae stood up on the bed. "Group hug!"

  
        "Wait...what?! Sakae!" Light yelled slightly. Sakae jumped on them and gave Light and Kohaku a big hug while also knocking them to the floor.

  
        "Ow..." Kohaku mumbled.

  
        "Sakae...that hurt," Light said.

  
        A smile appeared on Sakae's face. "I'm sorry."

  
        "Crazy bitch," Kohaku stated.

  
        Sakae frowned a little. "I said I was sorry."

  
        "I didn't mean that in a bad way." Kohaku pushed her friends off her lightly and stood up. Sakae sat on the floor and smiled up at her friends.

  
        "You are just like a little kid at times, Sakae," Light commented.

  
        "Mhm," Kohaku agreed.

  
        "Hey!" Sakae pouted. "I'm not a little kid."

  
        "I said you are like one, not that you are one," Light corrected her with a smile.

  
        "Still." Sakae looked away from them with her arms crossed. Kohaku laughed. "Why are you laughing at me?" Sakae looked at Kohaku again.

  
        "You are just so adorable, that's all," Kohaku laughed.

  
        "Thank you?" Sakae said, confused. Light laughed a little. Kohaku just shook her head and smiled.

* * *

        Bout a week and a day later, Light had killed Raye Penber along with all the other FBI agents who came to Japan. This caused the ICPO to distrust L's motives.

  
        Light goes into his room after a family meeting his father called, finding Sakae and Kohaku. They got in thru the window, having not been at his home that day, and they were glaring at him.

  
        "12 FBI agents. You killed 12 FBI agents!" Kohaku yelled. "Did you really have to go and kill each of them?! I thought it was just gonna be Raye!"

  
        "Light...what have you done?" Sakae had a grim look on her face.

  
        "I got rid of any threats. That's what I did," Light said as he looked at the two of them.

  
        "It wasn't right! Those people had families!" Kohaku moves closer to him and shoved him roughly. "You jackass! What were you thinking!? Were you even thinking?!"

  
        "They should have known not to meddle in things they shouldn't have!" Light yelled.

  
        "How could they?! How could they have known they would die by the hands of Kira?! How could they have known that they were truly risking their lives to come here?!" Sakae shouted back.

  
        Kohaku looked at Sakae and spoke calmly. "Sakae, I am sure they knew there was a chance Kira could kill them. They just didn't think there was a high possibility." She looked back at Light and glared at him once again. "What I just said doesn't mean I agree with your actions the slightest bit. I was just stating a fact. You, Light,... are a dickhead! Innocent people were killed! This plan was meant for only criminals to die!"

  
        "In order to protect what I have, extreme measures may have to happen," Light stated.

  
        "Yea, but innocent people, Light? None of this...should have happened," Sakae said with a solemn look on her face.

  
        "Exactly! And you know what, this is all my fucking fault! I started this mess by creating the plan in the first place!" Kohaku felt angry tears filling up her eyes.

  
        Sakae tried to comfort Kohaku. "It isn't your fault. Light is the one who did it, Kohaku, not you."

  
        "I came up with this stupid plan in the first place though..." Kohaku laid her head on Sakae's shoulder and, for the first time in front of her friends, started to sob into Sakae's shirt.

  
        "It's alright, Kohaku." Sakae gently patted her back. "You may have come up with it but it was someone's choice to partake in it." She glared at Light.

  
        "I..." Light hesitated.

  
        Kohaku sniffled and moved away from Sakae. She turned towards Light once more. "I hate you, Light! The Death Note is changing you! You said it wouldn't! The old you would've never killed an innocent human being!"

  
        "Woah, woah, there's no need for yelling," Light said.

  
        "You have no guilt, Light. I'm not even sure if you still have any true feelings left but greed," Sakae said as she looked at her friend. "You've changed, but for the worse."

  
        Kohaku growled and picked up Light's desk chair. "Asshole!" She threw it at him.

  
        Light quickly moved out of the way. "You're being too loud!"

  
        Sakae sighed and cleared her throat. "Kohaku, it may be best for us to leave for now. Light apparently cares too much about becoming a pseudo-god than his own friends or the lives of others."

  
        "Sakae..." Light said. He was going to continue when Kohaku started yelling.

  
        "I want to kick his ass!" Kohaku moves forward to try and harm Light only to be stopped by Sakae wrapping her arms around her. "Let me go! I wanna beat the shit outta him!"

  
        "You can't! It will only make things worse! He is still our friend...for now. Calm down, Kohaku." Sakae pulled her friend back as far as she could from Light.

  
        Kohaku growled. "No, he is your friend still. He is no longer a friend to me. He is evil!" She glared at Light. "I'll kick your ass, you little shit! Just wait and see!"

  
        "You're just saying that cause you're mad...I hope..." Sakae pulled her to the balcony. "Let's go before his family finds out we're here."

  
        Kohaku looked at Sakae, taking her gaze off of Light finally, and sighed in defeat. "Fine!" She parkoured off the balcony, landing on the ground unharmed. She took off running, not bothering to wait for Sakae. She needed to be alone...

  
        Sakae turned to jump off. Light grabbed her wrist before she could.

  
        "Sakae... Are... Are we still friends at least?" He asked her.

  
        Sakae sighed and removed her wrist from his grip. "Honestly, I don't know." She gave him a sad look before jumping off and running off into the night...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me make things clear:  
>         Sakae still sorta considers Light a friend. Light gripping her wrist at the end indicates that he cares a lot about her, more than he does Kohaku. He didn't give at shit about Kohaku hating him but seemed to be concerned about what Sakae thought (he does still care about Kohaku in a way however).  
>         Kohaku squatting. Ooooooh~~ Does that give you a hint who she is gonna end up with~~~? Me writing this is probably making it extremely obvious at this point who is gonna be with who.


	7. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku and Sakae meet L!

        The next day, a lot of the police left the investigation, leaving about 5 people who were willing to stay. L told them that he trusted them enough for them to be able to come to his hotel room. L asked for them to arrive around midnight, in two different groups thirty minutes apart…

  
        It's nearly midnight. Coincidentally, Sakae and Kohaku were standing across the street from the hotel, having just stopped to take a break from the long walk they were having to get their minds straight. Kohaku was wearing a slightly wrinkled black t-shirt that was a bit big on her, probably due to it being a guy's shirt, and baggy blue jeans, along with some tennis shoes. Sakae was wearing white t-shirt with jeans.

  
        "I hate Light sometimes," Kohaku stated angrily. It had been nearly a whole day since they saw Light but Kohaku was still pissed with him.

  
        "I know," Sakae said softly.

  
        "He's becoming such a bastard. I just wanna smash his face in." Kohaku growled in anger. "Ugh! I can't believe we're best friends with that jerk!"

  
        "As they say, power can drive people crazy. That's true with the case of Light." Sakae looked down at the ground.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku sighed. "It's funny how things happen for a reason... Maybe there is a good reason behind all this..."

  
        "Maybe...but we can never really know." Sakae sighed.

  
        "This is all just fucking annoying." Kohaku kicked a can that happened to be laying on the ground near her. It landed in a trashcan across the road. "Life sucks."

  
        "Life is funny with how it works...extremely funny," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "Pfft," Kohaku scoffed.

  
        "Where should we head to?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Nowhere now. Let's just stand and talk for a few before we head to our homes. It is getting close to midnight after all." Kohaku half-smiled at Sakae. Although she was still pissed at Light, she wasn't gonna let that stop her from enjoying her girl talk with Sakae.

  
        Sakae stretched her arms up to the sky. She smiled as she looked up at a dark sky filled with stars. "So pretty," she mumbled slightly.

  
        "Yeah, I guess so." Kohaku looked at the starry sky as well.

  
        "Times like these is when you just really need to sit back and admire the moment," Sakae said, continuing to look up.

  
        "You need a boyfriend," Kohaku stated flatly.

  
        "Wha-?! What in the world makes you say that?!" Sakae exclaimed, glancing at her friend.

  
        Kohaku shrugged. "Have you ever had one?"

  
        "Well...I never had a true boyfriend but I have been on a couple dates. Nothing special. What about you, Kohaku? Have you had a boyfriend before?" Sakae asked her.

  
        Kohaku gave her a look. "Do you honestly think a guy would go out with a girl...who has a guy's name and..." She gestured to her clothing. "...wears guy clothes? I don't think so."

  
        "I don't see why they wouldn't, unless they're an idiot. Which honestly, wouldn't surprise me with guys around," Sakae stated. She looked back at the sky.

  
        Kohaku smiled a little for a few seconds before frowning and sighing. "I'm fine being boyfriendless. I rather be alone then get my heart-broken by someone."

  
        "But that's all apart of life. You'll get your heart broken even if you have no boyfriend." Sakae looked down at her feet. "Life is just that way."

  
        "Yes, I know, but I rather not get heartbroken over a guy. Death and friendship loss, sure I'll be heartbroken over that but over a guy? Pfft." Kohaku stretched and looked at the ground. "Well, I'm bored with just standing here."

  
        Sakae looked at her. "Where do you wish to head to? Could go get something to eat real quick."

  
        "Not in the mood to eat. Ate a lot of sweets earlier." Kohaku stared at Sakae. "We should head home... Erm... would you like for me to walk you home? You never know what could happen. You could get harassed."

  
        "Hey there, little lady," They suddenly heard a man say.

  
        "See?" Kohaku turned towards Sakae and looked behind her. Sakae turned around to see two men who looked like they were in their mid-20's staring at her with a lustful look in their eyes. The men didn't notice Kohaku, perhaps because she is wearing dark clothing, sorta, and it is, after all, close to midnight.

  
        Sakae's eyes widen slightly. "N-No...this is life playing games again. And this time...it won't be fun." She slowly started to back away. "Kohaku…" Kohaku gripped Sakae's arm and pulled her toward her, making her stand beside her, on her left. Kohaku glared slightly at the two men.

  
        One of the guys smiled as they started to get closer. "Come on, just wanna have a little fun. We promise not to hurt you." He obviously didn't see Kohaku still.

  
        The other guy taps his buddies shoulder, both of them stopping. "There's someone with her." He whispered to him. His friend glared at Kohaku. "Yo, buddy, whatcha doin' with her? Trying to get in on the fun?"

  
        Kohaku blinked. "Eh?" She thought about what they said for a few seconds before glaring at them. "You think I'm a guy?!"

  
        "Oh, you're a girl?" The guy smiled. "This will just makes things more fun."

  
        "Oh shit," Sakae whispered.

  
        "Why don't the two of you come with us?" One of the guys more so demanded rather than asked.

  
        "Why don't the two of you take a long walk off a short pier?" Kohaku glared at the men more.

  
        "Aww, why would we want to do that now? Just looking for a little fun tonight." A wicked smile appeared on the guys face. "And we found that right here."

  
        "You two have one more chance to back the fuck off," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Now why would we want to do that? Going to try and hit us. Ooh, I'm so scared," The guy mocked.

  
        Kohaku fake smiled and walked towards them slowly. "Aren't you funny? So, fun you say?"

  
        "Kohaku, what are you doing?" Sakae whispered to her friend.

  
        Kohaku continued to fake smile at the two men and ignored Sakae. "So, you want to do something that's "fun"?"

  
        "What could you have mind, little lady?" A guy asked her as he slowly started to inch closer, his friend staying where he was.

  
        "I have an idea of what would be fun." She placed her hand on his shoulder, since he was right at her now. She smirked. "But you won't find it to be." In seconds, the guy was flipped over and laying flat on his back on the ground, groaning in pain.

  
        "Damn, Kohaku!" Sakae yelled, slightly shocked.

  
        "What the hell did you do to my friend?!" The other guy shouted.

  
        "I flipped him over obviously," Kohaku said calmly. "Do you want to be flipped too?"

  
        "Hell no! I'm getting out of here!" And the guy takes off running.

  
        "That was so cool, Kohaku!" Sakae shrieked in excitement.

  
        Kohaku picked up the groaning guy on the ground. "Take my advice: get a life and stop harassing women!"

  
        "You're a crazy woman!" The guy shouted.

  
        "Maybe that will teach you next time," Sakae said to the man, sticking her tongue out.

  
        "Hmm... You do realize that Kira could kill you for trying to harm innocent women right?" Kohaku questioned the guy to try and scare him. "You never know. Kira could be watching us now..."

  
        "No! I don't wanna die! Mommy!" The guy run off screaming for his mommy.

  
        Sakae walked over to Kohaku. "Well...there was some excitement."

  
        Kohaku was laughing. "Did you see his face?"

  
        "He got really scared the minute he heard Kira." Sakae started laughing. "If only he knew." Kohaku nodded.

  
        "Kohaku? Sakae?" They heard Mr. Yagami question. The girls turn to look at Mr. Yagami and Matsuda as they approached them from the way the two men had ran. "Why are you out so late?"

  
        "We needed to take a walk," Kohaku said.

  
        "It's dangerous out here," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "No kidding. I just sent two guys running," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Y-You made those two guys we saw run away?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Indeed I did," Kohaku said. Matsuda nodded slightly. He wanted to comment on why her name was a guy's name, he may not be able to see well with it being dark but he can hear, but decided against it. He was a bit afraid of her already.

  
        "It was really epic the way to did it too!" Sakae said.

  
        "That's good that you can handle yourself, then. I wouldn't want anything happening to you two," Mr. Yagami told them.

  
        Kohaku half-smiled. "So, are you two heading somewhere? Must be important for you to be out this late."

  
        "A late night meeting at the station. Nothing to worry about really," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "Hmm...can you tell us about it?" Sakae asked.

  
        "It's confidential, girls. So, I can't say anything about." Mr. Yagami scratched the back of his head.

  
        "Oh. That's too bad." Kohaku patted Mr. Yagami's shoulder. "Good luck then." She looked towards Matsuda. "And...good luck to you too I guess..."

  
        "Thank you, Kohaku. See you two girls later." Mr. Yagami and Matsuda went on their way. The girls remained where they were.

  
        Sakae looked over at Kohaku. "What did you do?"

  
        Kohaku pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and opened it. "Meeting at the station huh? Sakae, if you can see them with the little light we have from the stars and lamp-posts, tell me where they are going."

  
        "You mean...you put a camera on Mr. Yagami?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Could ya do what I said before I answer that?" Kohaku questioned, messing with her phone.

  
        "Yea, I can try my best," she said softly. Sakae looked towards Matsuda and Mr. Yagami went. From the light from the lamp-posts, she could barely see their figures as they headed across the road and towards the hotel, heading inside it. "Looks like they are heading into the hotel from what I can see."

  
        "I had a feeling that Mr. Yagami was stretching the truth a bit." Kohaku looked at Sakae and pointed her cell-phone towards her, showing Sakae live footage of the inside of the hotel. "Yes, I placed a tiny camera on Mr. Yagami. We can see what Mr. Yagami sees and hear what is said. I created the little camera myself."

  
        "Woah, that's neat," Sakae said.

  
        "Hmm..." Kohaku bite her fingernail lightly. "Do you think...we should follow? I mean, I know we can see and hear everything but we could follow encase the camera is found or starts messing up."

  
        "You're right about that. I think we should cause curiosity is getting the best of me that the moment," Sakae commented.

  
        Kohaku laughed. "Let's move our asses then."

  
        They went across the street and headed into the hotel. The girls glanced at the phone to see that Mr. Yagami and Matsuda were in a elevator.

  
        "I wonder as to why they are even here at a hotel. Could it be that…" Sakae did a fake gasp. "They have girls they're meeting?!"

  
        Kohaku hit Sakae on the head lightly. "Doof. I think they might be really having a meeting." She looked at the phone. "And on a very high level of this hotel."

  
        "Do you think it could be someone important?" Sakae suggested.

  
        "Yeah… Hmm..." Kohaku began to think about it. "Do you think… that it could be L?"

  
        "Why in the world would it be L unless...he considered Kira to be hard to crack that he had to show himself?" Sakae suggested. Kohaku shrugged.

  
        Kohaku and Sakae stood by the elevator, watching the live footage playing on Kohaku's phone. They watched as Mr. Yagami and Matsuda approached a room, a few other men with them. Mr. Yagami knocked on the door.

  
        "It's unlocked. Please let yourselves in," L said from the other side of the door. His voice was somewhat quiet-ish, smooth and soft.

  
        Mr. Yagami hesitated before placing his hand on the door knob, opening it. He, and the men, went inside. Once in the room, the girls heard the door shut in the footage; someone closed the door.

  
        The girls got into the elevator and started heading to the floor the men were on. They stared at the phone. They saw a young man who looked to be in his 20's; his hair was black, he had dark eyes with bags under them, he had a slightly wrinkled long-sleeved white shirt and baggy-ish jeans on, he was slouching as he stood, and he looked very disheveled or untidy.

  
        "Hey, he is sorta dressed the way you are, Kohaku!" Sakae exclaimed. "Only different is your shirt is black and short-sleeved!"

  
        "Mmm…" Kohaku stared at the young man. " _Is...that L?_ "

  
        The young man spoke. "I am L."

  
        The girls stared at L on the phone as he scratched the back of his head.

  
        "He looks a little different from what I've imagined," Sakae said. "It's like you two could be twins."

  
        "He looks nice," Kohaku commented.

  
        Sakae turned her head slightly to get a better look at the video feed. "Hmm...I would way so. I guess the stranger think is see L considering how he is," she stated.

  
        Mr. Yagami pulled out his ID and showed it to L; the girls could see Mr Yagami's arm stretched out a bit with his ID in hand. The girls assumed the others did the same since they couldn't see the others, considering the only thing they could see was mainly L. "I'm Yagami from the N.P.A."

  
        "Uh, Matsuda," the girls heard Matsuda announce.

  
        "Aizawa."

  
        "Mogi."

  
        "Ukita."

  
        The girls looked at each other for a moment and then back at the phone as they walked out of the elevator that finally reached the floor the men were on. L moved his hand from his head.

  
        "I'm very sorry we're late," Mr. Yagami said. "Currently, the five of us are-"

  
        L made a finger gun and pointed it at Mr. Yagami. "Bang."

  
        Kohaku half-smiled, seeing that on the phone. "That's adorable."

  
        "Hmm…" Sakae thought for a second as she looked at Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku looked at Sakae. "What?"

  
        "Uh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about something," Sakae replied.

  
        "Oh, okay." Kohaku looked back at the phone.

  
        The girls headed towards the room the men were in, still looking at the phone.

  
        "What the hell was that?" the girls heard Aizawa question L.

  
        "Mmm. If I were Kira, you'd be dead Mr. Soichiro Yagami from the N.P.A.," L stated.

  
        " _If he only knew~_ ", Kohaku thought as she watched the footage on the camera.

  
        "Kira needs a face and a name in order to commit murder," L stated, turning a bit while still facing the men. "But I'm sure you already figured that much out, haven't you? Please do not give out your names so carelessly. Instead," he started heading toward a room, "let's value our lives."

  
        Kohaku looked at Sakae. "He says that but he is risking his own life to catch Light."

  
        "Well, Light has little chance of really doing anything so...yea," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "That doesn't mean he'll give up on trying to kill L," Kohaku stated. "This is a pain."

  
        "True and what's a pain?" Sakae asked.

  
        "The whole Kira thing." Kohaku sighed. "It really is a pain."

  
        The girls reached the door of the room the men were in. They looked at the phone to see that the men were in another room in the hotel room. Mostly, all the could see, again, was L, squatting in a chair.

  
        "How much did we miss? Damn it, I hate getting distracted," Kohaku said, sighing.

  
        "I have no idea actually. Wasn't paying much attention either," Sakae said.

  
        "I'm tempted to knock on the door," Kohaku said. She glanced at the phone to see that the footage was showing L squatting in a chair, putting sugar cubes in a cup. "Hey, I sit like that sometimes… It's cute when he does it." She blinked. "Wait, what was I saying before?"

  
        "Are you doing what I think you're doing?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Hm?" Kohaku looked at Sakae, confused.

  
        "Getting a little crush," Sakae stated with a playful smile.

  
        "Wha? A crush?" Kohaku thought about it. "Um, I don't know."

  
        Sakae poked her stomach. "C'mon, you got that look in your face."

  
        Kohaku stared at her and shook her head. "Anyways, it's gotten boring just watching them on the phone. Let's see it in person, if we can." Kohaku kicked the door hard enough for the men to hear. Sakae looked at Kohaku.

  
        "Why would you do that?!" Sakae whispered angrily.

  
        "Bored." Kohaku stared at the phone.

  
        "You didn't have to kick the freaking door!" Sakae said.

  
        "It's amazing how none of them are coming towards the door. I knew L wouldn't but the others...they are smarter than they look," Kohaku mumbled. The men were hesitant to move, the girls assumed this due to Mr. Yagami moving so that the camera was slightly on Aizawa who was looking nervous. L seemed to be thinking.

  
        "What the hell should we do then? Leave or kick the door?" Sakae asked.

  
        "I wonder if they locked the door," Kohaku wondered out loud. She reached towards the doorknob.

  
        "Don't just open the door! That still is sort of rude to do," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "Pfft, yeah, I'm too bored to give a shit." She grabbed the doorknob and turned it, opening the door quickly since it was unlocked and preventing Sakae from stopping her. Kohaku closed her phone and put it in her pocket before walking inside, Sakae following her hesitantly.

  
        "Was that the door?! Did someone come in?!" they heard Matsuda questioned in panic in another section of the room. The girls can't be seen due to the wall at the section of the room the men were in.

  
        "Be quiet Matsuda," Mr. Yagami commented.

  
        The girls slowly approached the room the men were in. Kohaku spotted something and got off track, moving elsewhere. Sakae said nothing and walked slowly to the room the men were in...and entered it nervously. She wanted to get this over with, which is why she didn't wait for Kohaku.

  
        Mr. Yagami stared at Sakae when she walked through the door. "Sakae, what are you doing here? How did you even find us?"

  
        Sakae crossed her arms and leaned up against a wall. "You can thank Kohaku for that one," she said calmly.

  
        Everyone was staring at her.

  
        " _I wonder why she followed_ ," Matsuda thought.

  
        "Could she have something to do with Kira?" Ukita questioned.

  
        "Very mysterious," Mogi stated.

  
        "Is this little girl, Sakae?" Aizawa asked and received a nod from Mr. Yagami.

  
        "Hmm...something tells me there could be a small percentage that she is Kira," L mumbled to himself. No one was paying him much attention at this moment. The men were more focused on Sakae.

  
        "And who is this Kohaku? Is he even here?" Aizawa asked.

  
        "Why does everyone assume I am a male?" Kohaku questioned loudly, mostly to herself, as she walked into the room.

  
        "Because of the name," Sakae commented.

  
        "This is Kohaku?!" Aizawa stared at her. "She's nothing like I imagined."

  
        Kohaku rubbed her arm, a bored look on her face, ignoring Aizawa's comment completely. "I apologize for us spying. I was bored and Sakae was only just curious."

  
        "Hey! I bet you were curious too! Plus I saw how you were acting," Sakae teased lightly.

  
        Kohaku lightly hit Sakae on the head. "Be quiet. You talk too much. It gets annoying sometimes."

  
        Matsuda was staring at Kohaku. She noticed and stared back.

  
        "Yes?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "What? Oh! Sorry! It's just... you are wearing almost the exact same thing that...um, nevermind," Matsuda said hesitantly and nervously.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku replied.

  
        Mr. Yagami looked at Matsuda. "That doesn't matter at the moment." He looked at the girls. "What matters is that you two should not be here. Bored or not, you girls shouldn't be here."

  
        Sakae looked down at her feet nervously, not wanting to speak.

  
        "True but you know the saying: Curiosity killed the cat." Kohaku walked over to Mr. Yagami, who happened to be sitting near L, and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'll take my lil' camera I made back, thank you." She took it off his shoulder and gripped it in her hand before walking around the table and going back over to Sakae.

  
        Mr. Yagami looked shocked for a second. "How did you put that there?!"

  
        Kohaku half-smiled at him. "Don't you remember? I patted your shoulder before you walked off when we ran into each other on the street across from here, after you saw the two men running away from me and Sakae."

  
        "That's when? Huh, you really got me on that one then," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "I was just as shocked when I learned about it," Sakae commented.

  
        "I tend to be unpredictable at times," Kohaku admitted. She leaned back against the wall. "You were going to have a meeting about Kira, correct? It is a bit troublesome for most people."

  
        Sakae stood quiet against the wall. L stayed quiet, observing the...situation.

  
        "And what could be a better idea to figure out how to avoid getting caught if one of you are actually Kira, spying on the meeting," Aizawa stated.

  
        "Sakae is 100% not Kira. She is completely against what Kira is doing," Kohaku stated, defending Sakae. "She wouldn't hurt a fly."

  
        "The same goes for Kohaku. She is more of someone who will protect rather than fight," Sakae said.

  
        " _Somewhat,"_  Kohaku thought.

  
        Aizawa stared at them. "How do we know you're not just trying to cover for each other?"

  
        "You don't," Kohaku admitted.

  
        "Hey, Aizawa, that's enough now." Mr. Yagami got up and went over to where the girls were standing. "I know these girls. They're in no way of being able to be Kira. It's just not possible."

  
        "Indeed. Besides, I'd only kill someone in self-defense. That was close to happening once but I made a mistake: I didn't think about the possibilities of the guy carrying a weapon with him." Kohaku frowned. "I never want to feel that pain again."

  
        "At least you survived and lived to tell the tale," Sakae commented.

  
        "What do you mean, Kohaku? Did something happen to you?" Mr. Yagami asked, turning to look at her with concern.

  
        "I was shot. It was several months ago so there is no need to dwell on the past." Kohaku half-smiled. "Thanks for your concern."

  
        "I worry about you because you are like a daughter to me; both of you." Mr. Yagami stated before he smiled at the two of them.

  
        Sakae smiled up at him. "That makes me really happy to know."

  
        "That's nice to know," Kohaku said, still half-smiling.

  
        "Are you really trying to defend them, Chief?" Aizawa asked.

  
        "They're family, Aizawa. The two of them are in no way Kira," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "You are really beginning to piss me off, Aizawa." Kohaku glared at Aizawa lightly.

  
        "You still haven't proved you can be trusted, considering what you did," Aizawa said.

  
        "I do that all the time but of course, you wouldn't know that. You just met me. I don't honestly care if you trust me or not. But not trusting Sakae, that is what really pisses me off." Kohaku sighed. " _Sakae and I were never Kira; we did help but we weren't Kira. If they can't trust me completely, hopefully they can, at least, fully trust Sakae eventually. She is trustworthy..."_

  
        "Perhaps they should join in on the investigation," L suggested. "It'll make it easier for us to figure out if either of them are Kira and it'll make it easier for us to trust them."

  
        "This is too dangerous for them," Mr. Yagami stated sternly.

  
        "I believe they are more than capable of helping us," L said.

  
        "Well, I'm in," Kohaku said.

  
        "It sounds like fun. Count me in," Sakae said with a small smile.

  
        With that, the meeting finally started, almost as if nothing just happened. Mr. Yagami went back to his seat and made room for Sakae to sit down. Kohaku remained standing.

  
        "Uh, excuse me L," Matsuda started.

  
        "Mm, from now on, I'll have to ask that you stop calling me L. It's Ryuzaki now," L stated. "Just to be safe."

  
        "Uh, okay Ryuzaki," Matsuda said. "If we know that he needs a name and a face to kill, couldn't we cut down on the number of victims by keeping criminals names from the news?"

  
        "I'm sure Kira can find other ways to get the names," Kohaku commented boredly. " _Which he can, most definitely."_

  
        L agreed with her. "If we do that, we'll be putting the general public at risk." He started stirring up his coffee.

  
        "The general public?" Ukita questioned with wide eyes.

  
        "Why?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "Kira is childish and he hates losing," L stated as he stops stirring his coffee.

  
        "But how do you…?" Matsuda started to ask.

  
        "Just what do you mean?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Well, I am also childish and I hate to lose," L said. "That's how I know." He sipped his coffee.

  
        Kohaku smiled a little. " _Oh wow…_ "

  
        Sakae closed her eyes as she listened to the meeting. " _Right on the dot_."

  
        "Ryuzuki," Mr. Yagami said. "Would you mind being more specific?"

  
        L moved his cup from his lips. "Earlier on in the investigation, I tried to provoke Kira with that broadcast. Up until then, we thought that Kira would only go after criminals, but as we all witnessed, he didn't hesitate to kill my stand-in. Also as soon as I said we knew he was in the Kanto region, in defiance, he made sure his next victims came from within Japan, as if to say, 'what are you gonna do about it?'" L sipped his coffee. "He's met each of my challenges head on and he's never missed an opportunity to return the favor. Now what do you think would happen if we try to use media restrictions to hide criminals from someone like that?"

  
        "I guess…" Matsuda said.

  
        "'If you choose to withhold the names of your worst criminals, I'll kill petty criminals or the innocent. I'm holding the whole world hostage, so who's it gonna be? I'm not the evil one here, but all those who oppose me by hiding criminals, you are truly evil'" L sighed. "That's exactly how Kira thinks. In any case, let's look at another way we can use the media to draw him out."

  
        "But how?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "False information," Kohaku stated. " _Or, in other words, false advertisement_."

  
        "False information?" Sakae asked, confused slightly.

  
        "How about something like this? 'Death of FBI agents infuriates the U.S.' 'Latest killings anger the international policing community.' 'Nations agree to send 1500 investigators to Japan.' For Kira this would be way beyond what he faced with the FBI. He'll see everyone is a potential threat. Psychologically, he'll start to feel cornered, and that would cause him to take some kind of drastic action," L said intelligently.

  
        Ukita smiled. "That's interesting."

  
        "Beautiful idea," Kohaku commented. " _That exactly what I meant about false information_."

  
        "So he'll think there are 1500, when there are really only 9 of us," Aizawa stated. "And since none of these investigators exist, Kira won't be able to kill them."

  
        "9?" Sakae questioned.

  
        "Watari," Mr. Yagami said. "He isn't here."

  
        "Oh," Sakae replied.

  
        "Before we celebrate, I'll tell you the rest of my thoughts in the Kira case. Kira works alone." L placed his left thumb to his lips. "He had access to all our classified information."

  
        " _Well, that's one thing he has gotten wrong, sorta. Light had help from me and Sakae_ ," Kohaku thought. " _But, technically, he is working alone now-a-days_."

  
        "What evidence do you have that he's working alone?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "Hold on, Aizawa. Let's listen to his entire theory before asking questions," Mr. Yagami stated. Kohaku nodded in agreement.

  
        L still had his thumb to his lips. "We know he needs a name and a face to kill, and to some extent, he can control a victim's time of death and their actions before dying. We already know that much. Please keep that in mind. And listen carefully to what I have to say next." L pulled out a black marker and took the lid off. He began to write on the table. "On December 14th, 12 FBI investigators entered Japan. Here we are on December 19th. Using imprisoned inmates, Kira conducts experiments manipulating his victims' actions before they die. In other words, during this window of only five days, Kira became aware of the FBI's presence and obviously felt threatened. Because he didn't know any of their names or faces, he was at a disadvantage. He needed to know how much control he had over his victims before he could use it against the 12 agents. And as we all know, on December 27th…"

* * *

        Light was sitting at his desk, writing the same thing L had been writing on the table in the hotel. " _I got a hold of a file which contained all the names and faces of the FBI investigators in Japan, and I succeeded in killing each one of them. It's practically impossible to guess which agent gave the file to Kira. But I have to make sure that no one ever finds out that I came into contact with Raye Penber."_

  
        Ryuk was looking over his shoulder. "Huh? How come you're not using the death note today? You studying for those entrance exams? You worried about your friends?"

  
        "The entrance exams are the least of my worries and I'm not worried about Kohaku & Sakae. They just need time to calm down." Light stared at the paper he was writing on.

  
        "Oh? What are you doing?" Ryuk questioned him.

  
        "December 19th to December 27th, I've been most active during this period…" Light said.

* * *

        L continued drawing the diagram. "During this period, to the best of our knowledge, at least 23 individuals died of heart attacks. But these victims were different from Kira's previous targets. They were all alleged criminals, ex-convicts or suspects in ongoing investigations. So legally speaking, they were innocent."

  
        "That's true," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        L continued to speak. "What this indicates is that Kira had to manipulate these lesser criminals in order to kill those FBI agents. He killed that many people, so he would be unable to tell the decoys from those who were actually used. In truth, he probably only needed a few. He waited 8 days so the FBI could investigate other suspects, which meant there'd be no timeline linking him to their deaths. I suspect Kira had to be one of the people being investigated by the FBI between the 14th and the 19th of December. In fact I have no doubt." He picked up a pile of papers. "These are files provided by the FBI, and they contain additional information you might find useful." He placed the files down. "For obvious reasons, you are not permitted to take these out of this room, but…"

  
        Aizawa, Mogi, and Matsuda were looking at the files.

  
        "Amazing! With this much information, we should be able to cover a lot of ground," Matsuda said happily.

  
        "We'll split into two teams: one team traces the FBI agents. The other looks at the heart attack victims," Aizawa said.

  
        "There weren't that many people who had access to information from the headquarters, and of those the FBI only investigated a small group in the first five days," Matsuda said.

  
        "Yeah," Aizawa said.

  
        "So, does anyone have any questions?" L asked.

  
        "Ah?" Most of the men questioned.

  
        Kohaku shook her head. Sakae bit her lip slightly and shook her head.

  
        "Actually Ryuzaki, I do have one question for you. And it pertains to what you said to us earlier about how you hate to lose. Does the fact that you've shown your own face means that you've lost? By just being here are you admitting defeat to Kira?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "That's right. By showing my face to you now and by sacrificing the lives of 12 FBI agents, I have lost the battle. But I'm not gonna lose the war. This is the first time I've ever put my life on the line. I want to show Kira that we're all willing to risk our lives if that's what it takes, hm," a creepy smile appeared on his face, "and that justice will prevail no matter what."

  
        "Hey, yeah. That's right," Mogi said.

  
        "I like the sound of that," Matsuda said.

  
        "We can do this," Ukita said.

  
        "All right, then, let's do this, Ryuzaki," Aizawa said.

  
        "Mmm," Kohaku mumbled.

  
        Sakae smiled and nodded.

  
        "Before we go any further, I have to be absolutely sure that none of you are Kira. So I need to speak with each of you individually before you leave today," L said. He stood up and walked out of the section of the room they were all in and went quite a bit away from them to look out the window.

  
        "Ha! What's the deal? He still doesn't trust us?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        Kohaku hit him in the head. "Jackass. It's a fair request. Besides, what if you were in his position? You'd want to make sure the people you were working with weren't the enemy."

  
        "I agree," Mr. Yagami said. "Try to see it from his perspective. Kira's been getting information from our headquarters from the very beginning. So there is a good chance that he is one of us."

  
        "Chief's right. Working this case has given us a chance to see him in person," Matsuda said.

  
        "He's risking his life to be here," Sakae said. "Uh… Where'd Kohaku go?"

  
        The men and Sakae look to see Kohaku going over to where L was.

  
        " _Things are going well. Just one clue. Single decisive factor is all I need_ ," L thought.

  
        "Hey," Kohaku said from behind him.

  
        "Hmm…" L looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"

  
        Kohaku half-smiled. "I didn't come over here to ask you anything. I mostly wanted to get away from Aizawa for a bit before I ripped his head off." She moved to stand beside him. "Were you thinking about something? If so, I apologize for making you lose your train of thought. Also, it appears I lied: I did ask you something."

  
        "Nothing of importance." L turned back to the window. "Is there anything else you wish to ask me?"

  
        "Why did you walk over here? Did you wish to be alone?" she asked softly.

  
        "Wishing to be left alone to my thoughts, yes," L replied.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku stared out the window.

  
        "Is that all you wish to talk about?" L asked Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku shrugged. "I guess. I'm not much of a talker."

  
        L nodded to her. "You can be when there is something you are passionate about."

  
        "Mmm, I guess so." Kohaku looked at him.

  
        "Is there anything else you need?" L turned to look at her.

  
        Kohaku smiled kindly and shook her head. "No. I'll leave you alone now. Sorry for bothering you." Instead of heading back to the others, she went to a part of the room where she could sit alone, L watching her as she sat down in a chair. As she sat by herself, thinking about how the hell she was going to deal with hunting down one of her best friends, Sakae walked over to her.

  
        "So, how'd it go?" Sakae asked curiously.

  
        Kohaku blinked. "Hm?"

  
        "You talked to L," Sakae said. "Whatcha talk about?"

  
        "We didn't really talk about anything. Why are you asking anyways?" Kohaku questioned her.

  
        Sakae whispered in her ear. "He's been staring at you since you came over here to sit down and that was like nearly eight minutes ago."

  
        Kohaku rolled her eyes. "So? I'm sure he stares at a lot of people. It isn't uncommon."

  
        "But it is kinda weird," Sakae stated.

  
        "Eh," Kohaku mumbled. "Is that all you wanted? I was thinking about something important."

  
        "Oh, sorry. Anyways, I'm sure L is gonna be speaking with everyone individually soon," Sakae said.

  
        Kohaku nodded but said nothing. " _How are we going to do this...? Helping L find Kira who is in fact our best friend? This is going to be very difficult... Very difficult indeed."_


	8. The Meeting Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting with L hasn't ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Kohaku and Sakae are stuck in a little situation: helping catch Kira but also not helping catch Kira. How the fuck are they going to pull that shit off? *shrug* Who knows. Wish the girls luck!

        L spoke with everyone individually like he said he would. Once that was over, everyone was sitting around on the couch and chairs, minus Kohaku who sat curled up on the floor, leaning against the wall. Also, before anything continued, they made sure the door was locked to avoid anymore people just walking right in like Kohaku and Sakae had. It was daylight outside, meaning they had been up all night. How the hell none of them looked tired, with the exception of L who hardly ever sleeps: who the hell knows?

  
        "I apologize for questioning all of you like that, but I'm afraid I had no other choice," L said. "I've determined that Kira is not among us."

  
        "You did what you had to," Kohaku commented. Sakae nodded in agreement.

  
        "Kohaku," Mr. Yagami said. "Are you sure you don't want to sit here? I'm fine with just standing."

  
        "No thanks," Kohaku declined. "I rather sit here. It actually quite comfortable."

  
        Mr. Yagami went to protest but Sakae stopped him. "Let her sit where she wishes," she said. Mr. Yagami sighed.

  
        He looked at L. "So, Ryuzaki, how can you be certain that we are all innocent?"

  
        "Well, to be honest, from the beginning, I set a number of traps that would reveal if any of you was Kira," L said.

  
        "Ah," the men responded.

  
        L's phone began to ring. "Excuse me." He took his phone out and answered it, holding the phone oddly and a inch or so from his ear. Everyone was quiet and staring at L, well, the men were staring at L. Kohaku had her eyes closed and mostly likely had fallen asleep, since she is a master at falling asleep quickly. Sakae looked around at everyone, thinking to herself.

  
        "Understood," L said to the person on the phone. "I'm just about finished here anyway. You got a key, so let yourself in." He hung up the phone. "Watari is on his way."

  
        "Huh?" the men questioned. They didn't seem to believe that Watari was coming to the hotel room. Sakae got up and stretched her arms up. She walk over to Kohaku and kneeled down.

  
        "Sakae, what are you doing?" Mr. Yagami asked her.

  
        "She's asleep," she commented. Lifting her head up, Sakae poked Kohaku's cheek. "I want to have a little fun. Anyone have a marker?"

  
        Aizawa threw Sakae a marker. He wanted to see where this was going. "And it's a permanent marker."

  
        "Thank you." Sakae nodded at Aizawa before taking the cap off the marker. Everyone was watching her, even L. She moved to begin to draw a mustache under Kohaku's nose when Kohaku's eyes opened slightly.

  
        "Exactly what do you plan to use that for?" Kohaku questioned her, staring at her blankly. The men, minus L, were surprised that Kohaku had woken up just in time to save herself from getting a marker mustache.

  
        "Both trying to have some fun and wake you up," Sakae replied.

  
        "You are extremely childish. If we weren't best friends, I'd throw you out the window without hesitation." Kohaku took the marker from Sakae.

  
        "That's why I was going to do it. Because hey, we are best friends." Sakae gave her a little smile.

  
        "Wow..." Kohaku shook her head slightly.

  
        "What? Did I say something?" Sakae asked her.

  
        "No. Looks like I'm going to have to avoid falling asleep around you from now on. Great. If you really want to draw a marker mustache on someone, do it to Light whenever we have a sleepover again." Kohaku sighed.

  
        "Really?! Will you help me do that?! You know, encase he wakes up and I am in the middle of drawing, I'll need you to use your strength to keep him down and quiet," Sakae said.

  
        "You make it sound like we're gonna rape him," Kohaku commented. "But, sure. Whatever you want."

  
        Sakae smiled and hugged Kohaku. "Yay!"

  
        "Those two really are good friends huh?" Aizawa asked Mr. Yagami.

  
        Mr. Yagami nodded and smiled a little. "Yeah and I'm very glad that my son has them as his closest friends."

  
        L, who had been watching the girls, now stared at the men quietly.

  
        Watari walked into the room and took off his hat. He stood beside L. "Gentlemen," he spots the girls on the floor near the men, "and Ladies, it's an honor to meet all of you." He didn't seem to be fazed by the girls' presence.

  
        "Um, what about your usual outfit?" Matsuda asked.

  
        "If I dressed like that, I'd be announcing to the world that I'm Watari. That's all it takes to give away the location of our headquarters and Ryuzaki," Watari explained.

  
        "Oh, I see," Matsuda said.

  
        "Ordinarily I would never show my face to any of you. The fact that I'm here is proof that you've won Ryuzaki's trust," Watari stated.

  
        "Now that you mentioned it, I do feel honored." Matsuda rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Hahaha…"

  
        "Well then, I've brought those items you requested. It's all here," Watari said, holding out a briefcase.

  
        "Could you please pass them out to everyone?" L asked politely.

  
        "Yes," Watari responded. He opened up the briefcase. "Gentlemen, these are your new police IDs."

  
        "But what for?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        Soon, the men had the new police IDs in hand. They looked at them.

  
        "Our names and ranks are false," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "Why did you give us fake IDs?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "You're all kinds of stupid, aren't you? Jeez..." Kohaku commented. Matsuda frowned.

  
        "Hey, he could be a little slow; so, just give him sometime," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "A little slow, my ass." Kohaku rolled her eyes.

  
        "The police shouldn't use fake IDs!" Ukita exclaimed.

  
        "Enough," Mr. Yagami stated. "What choice do we really have give the capabilities of our enemy? As long as you're working on this case, I think we're going to need all the protection one can get. It will be foolish not to use them."

  
        "You got a point," Matsuda said.

  
        "Uh huh," Aizawa responded.

  
        "Remember any time you're in a situation where you have to give out your name to a stranger, make sure to use the name from your fake ID, understood?" L asked

  
        "Hmm…" Sakae thought to herself for a moment.

  
        "And be careful not to take them out while in the presence of other police officers. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that could cause problems for us," L stated, sipping his coffee...again.

  
        "I understand," Aizawa said, nodding along with the rest of the men.

  
        "What about the girls?" Mr. Yagami questioned. "Do they need fake names as well?"

  
        "Well," Sakae started. "No one would probably guess that we'd help with finding Kira, but if Ryuzaki suggests it, it may be a good idea."

  
        "I don't really think it's necessary," Kohaku said. "Like you said, 'no one would probably guess that we'd help with finding Kira'. Not unless someone finds us somehow extremely suspicious."

  
        "How about this? We have fake names just in case. No need for fake I.D.'s," Sakae suggested. "Sound good?"

  
        "I guess that sounds a bit reasonable. It would make me feel a bit better knowing you girls are safe," Mr. Yagami agreed slightly.

  
        "Yay, fake names, what fun," Kohaku cheered flatly and sarcastically. A few of the men cracked a smile.

  
        "What? It could be kind of fun coming up with fake names," Sakae said enthusiastically. "Come on, Kohaku!"

  
        "I am not coming up with a fake name," she stated.

  
        "Then I will. How about?" Sakae thought for a moment. "Usagi Kagome for you? And I could go with Hoshiko Makino. Does that sound okay?"

  
        "Whatever," Kohaku replied. "Did you happen to have thought about a rabbit park or something?" Usagi Kagome literally translated to Rabbit Park.

  
        "No, a rabbit in a pasture field under starry sky. I thought it was cute," Sakae said while smiling. "Do you like it?"

  
        "I was almost right and no, I don't...but I'll use it since you came up with it," Kohaku stated. "Can we move on now?"

  
        "Very well, then," Watari started, opening up another briefcase. "I'd like to request that you wear these at all times."

  
        Matsuda stared at what laid inside the briefcase. "Ah...belts?"

  
        Watari began to explain. "Each one has a transmitter hidden in the buckle. This will allow Ryuzaki to monitor your whereabouts. And when you press the buckle twice like this..." He presses the button twice. The phone in his pocket, his phone obviously, rings. "My cell phone will ring displaying your name." He opened his phone and stopped the ringing. "And I'll call you back immediately, but you won't see my number displayed. In the morning, all of you will go to the police station as usual. Then later on in the day, we'll use this method to confirm the name of Ryuzaki's hotel and his room number. Please use this for emergencies as well."

  
        The men began putting on the belts.

  
        Matsuda was excited. "No way! This is totally cool. I feel like some kind of secret agent going after Kira."

  
        "Quiet, Matsuda," Mr. Yagami stated sternly. "This is not the time to be fooling around. Knock it off."

  
        Matsuda frowned and slightly pouted. "Yes sir."

  
        "I thought his burst of excitement was adorable," Kohaku commented.

  
        Everyone looked at her.

  
        "But you called him stupid earlier," Ukita stated.

  
        "Yeah," Aizawa agreed.

  
        "I guess you can say he's growing on me," Kohaku replied.

  
        Matsuda smiled a little. "Um...thanks I guess."

  
        "Can never make up your mind, can you?" Sakae asked Kohaku. Kohaku stuck her tongue out at Sakae childishly. The men sat back down. Sakae and Kohaku were still on the floor.

  
        "Oh, and come to think of it, who's at the police station right now?" L questioned the men.

  
        Mr. Yagami thought about it for a moment. "Actually no one's there at the moment."

  
        L looked at Mr. Yagami. "That's not good news. We need someone there at all times, work in shifts if you have to."

  
        "I understand." Mr. Yagami looked at Aizawa. "Aizawa, I'll put you in charge of that for today."

  
        "Yes, sir." Aizawa stood up. "I'm on my way. Won't take me long." He left the section of the room they were in and left the hotel room.

  
        " _I wonder what we're gonna be doing now_ ," Kohaku thought.

  
        " _This has been one long day,_ " Sakae thought as she closed her eyes.

* * *

        Light is walking behind a woman with black hair. He seemed really desperate with trying to stop her. The woman is the fiancé of Raye Penber, one of the FBI agents Kira, a.k.a. Light, killed. She could possibly lead the police right to Light if he didn't stop her soon. She used an alias, knowing that she could end up meeting Kira on the street. Her real name…is Naomi Misora.

  
        "Ms. Maki, please." He walked faster to walk beside her. "Wait a second. It's literally impossible to meet L. This is pointless."

  
        They both stopped walking. Light stood in front of Naomi.

  
        "You may be right," Naomi said. "But I think that there's a chance that he'll meet with me."

  
        "Huh?" Light was confused.

  
        "Although the only contact I had with him was following orders through a computer, he may remember who I am. You see, I worked under him in a case in the U.S. about two years ago," she revealed.

  
        "Are you serious? You worked under L?" Light questioned.

  
        "Yes." Naomi began to reveal more information that she probably shouldn't have revealed. "I didn't tell you this, but up until three months ago, I worked as an FBI agent."

  
        "This is it. Finally something I can use," Light thought. He stared at Naomi and began talking. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. In fact, I noticed In fact I noticed early on that your investigative skills were far beyond those of an amateur. You were very cautious and you seem to have a gift for getting to the heart of the matter." He walked around her and stood by Ryuk, his back facing Naomi. "If I could, I'd like to learn from you." Naomi had her back turned towards him just like he had his towards her.

  
        Ryuk was laughing. "One lie after another. You make it look easy."

  
        Naomi felt like she could confide in Light a bit. "From the beginning, I knew I had to do things outside the regular channels because from my perspective both of the police and the members of the task force were suspects. But I'm certain that I can trust L." Light turned to look at her. "Maybe it's unrealistic, but I think that if I go to headquarters and give them my name, there's a chance that they let me speak with him directly."

  
        "I see, but if the only person you could trust with this info was L, then why me?" Light questioned her.

  
        "I suppose I was upset that they would not allow me to see anyone from the task force.

  
        Then you came along, claiming to be the son of the lead detective and...No. That's not it. I'll be honest with you. It's because you remind me of L." She turned towards him. "There's something about you that's just like him."

  
        They were quiet for a few moments. Light turned towards her completely. "Will you investigate this case with me?" he asked her.

  
        "Huh?" Naomi was surprised by the question.

  
        Light began to lie like a boss. "I want you to come work with us as part of the task force. We could use your help. As I'm sure, you know, not just anyone can do it. Please. I know this is sudden, but the team needs people like you. I'm serious. You could be doing so much more than gathering information on your own. You have all the experiences as an FBI agent. You are more talented than most of the detectives currently on the task force. And L obviously trusted you in the past. It wouldn't be that difficult for you to join. All you need is some valid identification, a recommendation from a current task force member, and of course, you need to get L's permission."

  
        "You want me to join the task force?" Naomi questioned.

  
        "I can't help but think that it must be fate that I met you today. I'd like to be the one to recommend you." His lies were just flying out; Light was saying them without a second thought. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. I guess I've got a little bit too excited."

  
        "It's OK," Naomi said.

  
        "I mean even if you acted as a consultant on this investigation, it would be a great help. I'm sure you'll have personal obligations to attend to. Not to mention the fact you live in the United States," Light said.

  
        "It's true. Before all this happened, I thought I'd continue living in America with my fiance. We planned on getting married in the spring. But now he's gone. So I'm not sure what to do any more," Naomi stated, frowning.

  
        "All right. I've come this far. All she needs is a little encouragement," Light thought. "But you are young and beautiful and you've got your life ahead of you. Why put it all in danger for this?"

  
        "No!" Naomi exclaimed. "Now that Raye is gone, I've got nothing to lose any more. I want to catch Kira. I don't care about anything else. It's all I wanna do. Please let me investigate this case with you."

  
        Ryuk laughed more. "Hehehehehehe. Hahahahahahaha."

  
        "Yes, of course. I just need to see some form of identification before we proceed," Light stated.

  
        "Oh, um…" Naomi hesitated.

  
        "Yes?" Light asked.

  
        "You see, the name I gave you earlier, well, it wasn't actually my real name. I'm so sorry," she apologized. She bowed slightly.

  
        "Don't worry. It's all right. To be honest, I'm impressed by how incredibly thorough you've been. You've stayed one step ahead of me. But I suppose that's just further proof of your capabilities," Light said.

  
        "So will a Japanese driver's licence do the trick, then?" Naomi questioned him.

  
        Light nodded. "Sure."

  
        Naomi handed her driver's licence to Light as Aizawa walked by, not noticing the two of them as he headed to police station.

  
        "I made it in time," Light thought as he wrote down Naomi's name on the death note paper he brought with him. He had written earlier that she'd commit suicide but beforehand, she had given him a fake name. Now he could get rid of her, thanks to her believing his act. Light looked at his watch.

  
        "Ah so, if you don't mind my asking, why do you keep checking your watch?" Naomi asked him.

  
        "Oh, well." Light closed his eyes. "I guess it's because…" The forty second mark was about to it. He opened his eyes and gave her a dark, smug look. "Because I'm Kira."

  
        Naomi gasped. "Huh?"

  
        The forty second mark hit. Naomi's eyes became extremely dark and lifeless, depression over taking her. She turned and began to walk away from Light.

  
        "What the matter?" Light called out to her.

  
        "There's something I have to do," Naomi said in a depressed kind of tone. She kept walking.

  
        "Hm. My father's cell phone might be available now." Light pulled his phone out. "Do you want to see if you can talk to him?"

  
        Naomi didn't stop walking. "No thank you. I have nothing to say to him."

  
        Light smirked and put his phone away. "Then goodbye, Naomi Misora."

  
        Naomi kept walking, heading to commit suicide within 48 hours...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light, you bastard! How dare you make Naomi commit suicide. Grrr...
> 
> Guess what will be happening in the next chapter? I'll just tell you this much: the romance will truly be beginning. Love will start to blossom between two characters but I shall not be telling you who!


	9. Surveillance Cameras

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cameras are in Light's home?! OoO

        48 hours have went by. In L's hotel room, the men (Aisawa, Mr. Yagami, and Matsuda) are exhausted and had bags forming under their eyes, minus L of course who hardly ever even sleeps and already had bags under his. Kohaku was wide awake and didn't have any bags under her eyes. Sakae was energetic with a tiny hint of bags under her eyes. All of them were looking at footage from surveillance cameras.

  
        "That was footage from surveillance cameras at the station. The death of one of the FBI agents is captured on here," Aizawa stated before groaning.

  
        L was eating pistachio ice cream. "Let's see the following scene again. Raye Penber passing the ticket gate on his way in, then him boarding the train, and finally the part where he dies on the platform."

  
        "Okay. Let's see." Aizawa looked thru the tapes they have.

  
        " _Raye Penber...that name sounds familiar. Could it have been…_?" Sakae thought to herself as she looked at everyone.

  
        "I think it's next to that," Matsuda said, pointing at a tape.

  
        "Oh, here it is." Aizawa had found the tape they needed.

  
        Kohaku sat curled up on the couch beside L and Sakae sat beside Kohaku. Matsuda looked at a piece of paper and began to read from it.

  
        "Um, so based on the records I have here, Raye Penber comes through the West entrance of Shinjuku station at 3:11 pm. Then at 3:13, he boards a train on the Yamanote Line. But even if he was following someone at that time, I think it's gonna be very difficult for us to draw any real conclusion from this blurry video. Then at exactly 4:42 p.m., um," Watari hands Matsuda some pistachio ice cream, "Oh thank you very much, Watari. Umm, and at 4:42 p.m., he exits the train at Tokyo station and dies on the platform."

  
        Watari gave some pistachio ice cream to Mr. Yagami and Aizawa. He looked at the girls. "Would you like to have some pistachio ice cream as well?"

  
        "Oh?" Sakae looked up at Watari. "I'm fine but thank you for offering," she said with a smile.

  
        "I would like some," Kohaku said.

  
        Watari nodded and went to make a cone for Kohaku. He soon came back and handed her the cone of ice cream.

  
        "Thank you. I wish there were more kind people like you, Watari," Kohaku said, smiling at him.

  
        Watari smiled a little and nodded. Kohaku started eating her ice cream. L looked at her for a moment but didn't say anything. He looked at the TV screens.

  
        "It's quite strange, don't you think?" L questioned everyone.

  
        "I'm sorry. What do you find strange?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Yeah. What is it? Did you notice something?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "We know that Raye Penber got on the train, and then an hour and a half later he got off and died on the platform. But Yamanote line only takes an hour to complete its circuit. And more importantly there's the envelope," L stated.

  
        "Um, what do you mean?" Aizawa asked.

  
        L picked up the remote and went to where it showed Raye with an envelope. "He's holding what looks like an envelope when he passes through the ticket gate."

  
        "Oh, you're right! It's there under his arm. But in the footage right before his death," Aizawa looked at the other TV screen, "It's gone! I can't believe you actually caught that," he said.

  
        "Hmm," Kohaku wondered.

  
        "Strange…" Sakae muttered to herself.

  
        "I don't see an envelope on this list of his personal effects," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "Which means it was left on the train," L stated intelligently. "And if you watch closely the very end here…" L made the footage go forward a bit. "It seems like he's straining to look inside the train before the door's close. You can see right here."

  
        "If that's the case, do you think it could mean something?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Wouldn't it be interesting if Kira was on that train?" L questioned.

  
        " _Pretty sure he was_ ," Kohaku thought.

  
        "That's impossible," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I admit I find it hard to believe as well," L said. "There's no reason for Kira to come to the scene of his own crime when he can kill from a distance. Well, maybe he was counting on us to make that assumption, and figured he could get away with such a bold move."

  
        "What if…" Sakae thought for a second. "That envelope had something to do with the death of the FBI agents?" She suggested.

  
        "That is possible," Kohaku said. "But how could it have something to do with that?"

  
        "Kira probably didn't have the information to the FBI agents. So, what better way to find them than to use one of their own," Sakae clarified.

  
        Mr. Yagami nodded. "I think you're on to something, Sakae. It's make a little bit of sense."

  
        Everyone didn't say anything after that. Eventually, everyone who had ice cream was done with their ice cream and throw their cones away. Watari's phone rang and he answered.

  
        "Yes?" Watari asked. "Yes, would you please hold for a moment?" Watari pulled the phone from his ear. "Ryuzaki, it's Ukita at the NPA. He says he's on the phone with someone from the tip line who has information for us."

  
        L was standing near Watari's desk, having gotten up from the couch and moved over to him. "Right. Then give Ukita the number for line 5 and ask him to have the informant call that line instead, it will be safer that way." L turned towards Matsuda who had sat on the couch with the girls. "Mr. Matsuda, it's OK for you to turn on your cell phone now. Actually, please turn it on right away."

  
        "Oh, sure," Matsuda said. He pulled his cell-phone out and turned it on. It immediately started ringing.

  
        L took the phone from Matsuda and spoke on the phone in a kinda deep voice. "Yes, this is Suzuki, head of Kira's investigation public information division."

  
        Kohaku looked at Matsuda who looked a little annoyed and she smiled a little. She poked his shoulder, causing him to look at her. "No need to be annoyed."

  
        Matsuda blushed lightly. "Um..."

  
        "Kohaku, don't tease the poor guy," Sakae commented.

  
        "But it's fun!" Kohaku pouted. "Also, Matsuda looks adorable when he blushes!"

  
        "I am?" Matsuda was blushing more.

  
        Sakae smiled a little. "He does a little bit. Ironically, he's older than us."

  
        Matsuda was as red as a tomato. "Thanks?"

  
        Kohaku laughed a little. "You're welcome!"

  
        L was still on the phone. "Raye Penber's fiancé, Naomi Misora?" L looked towards Watari who began looking up Naomi. " _Heard that name before._ " Watari turned the laptop to L and it showed Naomi's face. " _Ha! So it's her. She's from the Los Angeles BB murder case. That's right. She was working under me. I guess she must have come to Japan with her fiancé._ "

  
        L eventually hung up the phone and handed it back to Matsuda. Aizawa, Mr. Yagami, and Matsuda were standing by L by this point. Sakae and Kohaku stared at everyone from the couch.

  
        "Well, apparently, she's been missing since the day after her fiance died," L stated.

  
        "I'm sure that anyone in her situation would be pretty depressed. Was it…" Matsuda didn't get to finish his question. Aizawa finished it for him: "Suicide?"

  
        "No. The Naomi Misora I knew was strong, not to mention, she was also an excellent FBI agent. If anything, it's more likely she'd be trying to catch Kira. If she came to Japan with Penber, it's possible that she may have found a lead. If that's the case, did Kira manage to get to her first? Everyone, at this point I'd like to focus our investigation on only those people who Raye Penber was tailing. In particular he was assigned to two police officers and those closest to them."

  
        "Very well. Who are these two individuals he was investigating?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Deputy Director Kitamura, along with Detective Superintendent Yagami and their families," L stated. Mr. Yagami's eyes widened. "At this stage, I'd like to place wiretaps and surveillance cameras in both households."

  
        Kohaku and Sakae looked at each other, sharing a look of worry.

  
        " _This will not end well_ ," Sakae thought.

  
        Kohaku and Sakae watched the men slightly.

  
        "Surveillance cameras, Ryuzaki?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "I don't see how you can even consider this. If it got out, we'd have a civil rights scandal on our hands. We'd all lose our jobs," Aizawa said.

  
        "You told me you'd be willing to risk your lives for this investigation, but you wouldn't risk your jobs?" L questioned.

  
        "Ryuzaki, what are the odds of that Kira is in one of these households?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Maybe 10%, No, it's closer to 5%," L said.

  
        "Seriously? I'm sorry, but it's not worth the risk," Matsuda said.

  
        "No. Of all the people we've investigated so far, not one of them seemed even the least bit suspicious. Even if there is only a 1% chance, we simply can't afford to ignore it," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Chief?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "I don't have to tell you how offended I am to learn my family is under suspicion. Having said that, just go ahead with it. And make sure that you install them everywhere. I don't want any blind spots in the house, and that includes the bathroom," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Thank you very much. That was my intention," L said.

  
        "Come on, chief. You don't have to agree to this," Aizawa said.

  
        "Yes, he's right. Think about your family. You have a wife and a daughter at home, don't you?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        Kohaku raised one of her eyebrows. She whispered to Sakae. "He does now that he has a son too, right?"

  
        "I'm guessing he's thinking about privacy for them, not necessarily guys," Sakae whispered back.

  
        The girls listened to the conversation more.

  
        "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. But there is no point in doing any of this if we can't be thorough. Now I suggest you keep quiet," Mr. Yagami said angrily.

  
        "I'm sorry," Matsuda whispered.

  
        "No. It's OK." Mr. Yagami sighed. "Excuse me." He walked away from them.

  
        "As a courtesy to the chief and his family, only he and I will conduct surveillance on their home. Watari, how long will it take to prepare the wiretaps and cameras we need?" L asked.

  
        "Well, starting tomorrow, I can set them up at any time, provided we know when both houses will be empty," Watari stated.

* * *

        It's the afternoon of the next day. Kohaku and Sakae are at a store. Kohaku and Sakae had their usual attire one.

  
        "I'm sure Light is writing in the Death Note right now in front of the cameras," Kohaku said, pacing in the store. "I can't believe this at all. Actually I can believe. I knew he'd get caught eventually. Didn't think it would be this early."

  
        Sakae shook her head. "Light is too smart for that. Something tells me he figured out someone messed around in his room." She looked around the shelves, trying to find something. "You want something? My treat."

  
        "Chocolate," Kohaku answered immediately.

  
        "Which kind?" Sakae asked as she looked at Kohaku and pointed at the shelves.

  
        "Dark chocolate is my favorite, remember?" Kohaku poked her cheek.

  
        "There's several different brands here," Sakae stated.

  
        "So?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "Okay." Sakae grabbed a random brand of dark chocolate then grabbed something for herself. "What are your thoughts on the situation with L?"

  
        "What you mean?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "Everything he's doing. From showing up to taking the drastic measures," Sakae said as she began to walk towards the cashier.

  
        Kohaku followed. "Well... I think he is doing a great job. He is extremely smart. Won't be long before he...suspects Light, even if Light is smart enough to notice the cameras and wires in his house."

  
        Sakae put the treats on the counter and paid for them. She handed Kohaku her chocolate as they walked out. "The thing is that they are two geniuses clashing heads. One is bound to be one step in front of the other. We just don't know who that will be," she stated as she began to bite into her candy.

  
        "Mm." Kohaku started to eat her dark chocolate.

  
        As they walked, they go by a bookstore just as Light and Ryuk walk out of it.

  
        "Sakae? Kohaku?" Light questioned.

  
        "Huh?" Kohaku paused and looked towards Light. "Light?" She swallowed the chocolate in her mouth.

  
        "Hey, Light." Sakae took bite of the candy in her hand. "What's up?"

  
        "I was just picking something up." Light showed the girls some adult magazines.

  
        "What the hell, Light?! When did you get into that stuff?!" Sakae yelled, forgetting all about her candy.

  
        "Nice," Kohaku commented, also forgetting about her lil' sweet. "But, um, why did you get them?"

  
        "Someone had installed cameras in the house. So, I have to come up with some ruse to trick them." Light stated.

  
        "Eh? Cameras?" Kohaku wondered. "How the hell could someone put cameras in your house?" Kohaku knows exactly who but of course, she couldn't tell Light anything about that right now; same with Sakae having to keep the secret. All they can do right now is act like they don't know shit and act like they aren't stuck in a horrible situation where they are against their best friend as well as are trying to protect him from getting caught. It was mind-fucking. A mistake made and everything would be down in the dumps with all three of them being arrested.

  
        "When no one was home is probably my guess," Light said.

  
        "By why?" Sakae asked. "There has to be some reason for them doing this."

  
        "I wish we could help you out with that situation," Kohaku stated. It was almost as if the argument, or whatever it was they had the last time they saw each other, never happened.

  
        Light smiled at the two girls. "You don't have to worry about that. It's good to see you two again."

  
        "You too, Light." Sakae let a small smile appear across her face.

  
        Kohaku was munching on her dark chocolate bar. "Mhm, yeah. Really good to see ya as well, Light." She was more focused on finishing her little treat now that she remembered she had it.

  
        Sakae looked down at her candy. "Almost forgot that I had this."

  
        Kohaku finished her dark chocolate. "Anyways, are you sure we can't help you out? You aren't the best...actor."

  
        "Not the best actor? I believe that I'm actually pretty good," Light commented.

  
        "Hmm...mawywe," Sakae said as she took a bit of her candy.

  
        "If you don't need our help then good luck. We could've acted like we use to before all this happened. It could've possibly confused whoever is watching ya but whatever." Kohaku started to walk away.

  
        "W-Wait! I never said that I didn't want you to come. I...I do want my friends back," Light confessed.

  
        Sakae looked between Light and Kohaku. "I think he's being sincere." She looked at Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku stopped walking and looked at them. "Hard to tell. The Death Note is changing his personality completely. He could be lying..." She started to think about it. "Or he could still have somewhat of his old-self in him."

  
        "The look in his eyes. That isn't something he can really fake, especially with someone who knows him well; like the two of us," Sakae stated.

  
        "Hmph..." Kohaku stared at them for a bit. Soon, she sighed. She walked back over to him. "I hate you guys sometimes." She opened up her arms to prepare for a hug. "Friends forever," she said flatly. "Now let's have a quick group hug and get going. I don't like standing in one place for too long. It's boring."

  
        Sakae smiled and walked over to Kohaku, putting her arms around her. "Come on, Light!"

  
        Light stared at them then let out a sigh of defeat. "You two are really something." He went over and hugged the two.

  
        Sakae broke away from hug. "Says the guy who bought adult magazines." She laughed a little bit but gasped a little bit when she felt her treat no longer in her hand. "Light! Give that back!"

  
        A smirk appeared on Light's face. "Give what back?" He asked as he held the candy up in the air.

  
        Sakae jumped for it, only for it to be out of reach. "You're an idiot!" She said.

  
        "Any plan on how to retrieve it?" Light asked her.

  
        "I do actually," Sakae said. She reached up for the candy, distracting Light. She gave him a small peck on the check before jumping for the candy and grabbing it. Light stood dumbfounded, blushing a little. Sakae took a bit of her candy. "Got it," She stated with mischievous smile.

  
        "How adorable," Kohaku commented.

  
        "No it wasn't!" Light yelled, still blushing.

  
        "As they say, women can sure use charms," Sakae commented with a small smirk. "Aww, Light, embarrassed?"

  
        "Not one bit, actually," Light replied, no longer blushing.

  
        "Then why the hell were you blushing?" Kohaku questioned, poking his cheek. "If it wasn't from embarrassment, what was it from?"

  
        "N-Nothing." Light looked away from the two to try and hide his face. He was blushing a little again.

  
        Sakae laughed a little. "Aww, how cute."

  
        "Well, that was entertaining but I am bored now," Kohaku said. "Let's get going."

  
        The three friends started heading to Light's home with Ryuk following them.

  
        "By the way, Ryuk. What about your apples?" Light asked.

  
        "Apples?" Ryuk wondered. He immediately realized what Light meant. "Ah! That's right. Surveillance cameras. Once the apple is in my mouth, no one can see it, but while I'm holding it, it looks like it's floating."

  
        "I thought so," Light said. "You told me that Shinigami can't die, so I guess it won't kill you to stop eating apples for a while."

  
        "Mhm," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Oh, don't you think that's a bit much, come on!" Ryuk exclaimed. "I never told you this, but apples are to me what cigarettes and alcohol are to humans. Do you see what I'm saying?"

  
        "We hear ya," Kohaku said.

  
        "I even get withdrawal symptoms," Ryuk revealed.

  
        "Really?" Kohaku looked back at Ryuk, staying still. "Like?" Sakae looked back at Ryuk too, still as well. Light stopped walking along with the girls to wait for them.

  
        "My body gets all twisted, I do handstands." Ryuk does a handstand, sorta, and Kohaku laughed a little. "It's not pretty."

  
        "It's pretty funny though," Kohaku said.

  
        "Huh, what a funny twist on that," Sakae commented.

  
        "I don't need to see that," Light commented. He wasn't even looking at Ryuk.

  
        Ryuk stopped doing his "handstand". They all started walking again. They were almost at Light's place.

  
        "Okay. Here's the thing. Unfortunately, I already gave L the hint that Shinigami love apples," Light started.

  
        "That was dumb," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Shut up," Light said. "As I was about to say, I just can't afford to take the risk. If it's so important for you to eat apples, Ryuk, you'll have to find out where all the cameras are hidden." They arrived at Light's home. "If you're lucky, you might find a blind spot where you can eat them without being seen."

  
        "Great," Kohaku said. "We just gotta act like, well, the way we use to I guess. Before all this, which means no fighting or arguing between me and Light. That's gonna be hard." She looked at Light. "You really piss me off now-a-days, making us barely still best-friends."

  
        "Just pretend nothing ever happened," Light said before he walked into the house.

  
        "Calm and peace. Hopefully it will be alright," Sakae commented.

  
        "Whatever," Kohaku said. She walked into the house, followed by Sakae.

* * *

        In L's room, Mr. Yagami and him are watching Light, Kohaku, and Sakae as they walked into the Yagami household.

  
        " _The girls are allowed to go wherever they wished because they are still teenagers...and they choose to go to my home... to be with Light, despite knowing we'd be watching_ ," Mr. Yagami thought. He sighed.

  
        "Is something wrong?" L questioned, glancing at him.

  
        Mr. Yagami shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

  
        "Hmm…" L looked back at the TV screens. On the screen, it shows Light and the girls in his room. Light pulls out one of the adult magazines he bought and starts looking at it, laying on his bed.

  
        "I can't believe my son's looking at those magazines," Mr. Yagami said. "And in front of them."

  
        "It's normal for a 17-year old. It seems contrived. It's too obvious. The only reason he didn't want anyone in his room is because he had these magazines. That's what he wants us to think but he let the girls into his room and he wasn't afraid of them knowing about the magazines. Hmm..." L said.

  
        "Are you honestly telling me that you suspect him?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "I do suspect him," L admitted. "That's why I placed wiretaps and surveillance cameras in your house and Deputy Director's house."

* * *

        In Light's room, Ryuk is searching for the cameras, Kohaku is standing by Light's bed and looking at the magazine with him, and Sakae was sitting in the chair at Light's desk.

  
        "I've found a camera in the air conditioner," Ryuk said.

  
        " _Hm, so they've really put cameras in here. They must've bugged the place as well. Even if this is a Kira case, I didn't think the Japanese police would ever go this far. This must be L's idea. Which means they've narrowed down their list of suspects. By now they must've figured out that it was someone who Raye Penber was investigating or they wouldn't've gone to all this trouble. No. Given the situation, it's safer if I just assume I'm their prime suspect and the only one being watched. It'll be OK. Luckily I've prepared for this kind of situation_ ," Light thought.

  
        "Why do guys find half naked and completely naked women so attractive?" Kohaku wondered. She looked at Light. "Do you find any of them attractive?"

  
        Sakae was spinning around in the chair. "I think a woman who covers up more is really pretty."

  
        "Talk about yourself there, Sakae?" Light asked while he flipped through his magazine.

  
        "Nope. I'm just average, honestly," Sakae commented as she continued to spin around.

  
        "To answer your question, Kohaku: yes, I find them attractive but am I attracted to them is probably your question," Light stated.

  
        "Ugh. I think I'm getting stupider." Kohaku sat on the edge of Light's bed. "That's what I get for wanting to have friends. Sometimes, I can't think straight with you guys around. It's weird."

  
        "Hey, I'm not the one to blame here." Sakae stopped spinning. She wobbled a little bit. "Okay, sudden stop, not a good idea."

  
        Kohaku stared at Sakae for a second before laughing a little. "Oh wow."

  
        "Haven't learned not to do that quite yet, Sakae?" Light looked over at her.

  
        "Hey," Sakae pointed at him. "You never learn from a mistake...until you do it 15 or 20 times."

  
        Kohaku shook her head. "Wow..."

  
        "What?" Sakae asked, looking at Kohaku.

  
        "Nothing," Kohaku said.

* * *

        Light and the girls went downstairs for dinner. They ate with Mrs. Yagami at the table. Sayu was sitting on the floor, staring at the TV.

  
        "Uhh. Hideki Ryuga. I swear he's perfect! How come no one in my class is like that?" Sayu wondered.

  
        "Sayu, just eat your dinner," Mrs. Yagami said.

  
        "I'll eat later," Sayu said.

* * *

        In L's hotel room, L held a phone up inches from his right ear. "Hello, Mr. Aizawa. Are the Kitamuras watching television now?"

  
        Aizawa responded. "Yes. He's not home, but the other four are watching while they eat dinner. It's channel 4."

  
        L moved the phone away from his ear. "Watari, please contact the broadcasters and tell them to play our message."

  
        "Very well. Understood," Watari said.

* * *

        The message appeared on the screen on the TV in the Yagami household.

  
        "Huh? What's this?" Sayu wondered. She started to read it. "ICPO? They are saying that in response to the Kira murders Interpol has decided to dispatch a force of 1,500 investigators to Japan. The Investigators were drawn from law-enforcement agencies of its member nations. 1,500 investigators? Wow."

  
        "1,500 investigators?" Sakae looked over at Kohaku. "That seems like a lot for one person."

  
        "Mhm." Kohaku was stuffing her face. It had been a while since she ate anything other than sweets.

  
        "The ICPO sure is stupid," Light commented.

  
        "I wonder if that is a bit overboard for one person," Sakae wondered.

  
        "You were saying, Light?" Kohaku questioned, her mouth full of food. She swallowed it.

  
        "I mean there's no point in making this announcement. If they are gonna send all these people here to investigate, shouldn't they keep it a secret? Even the FBI agents who were secretly investigating were killed by Kira. Why, would this be any different? If you ask me, this is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shock Kira in the hopes that he will reveal himself somehow. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Kira sees right through this," Light stated.

  
        "Ain't you a clever boy," Kohaku said. She went back to munching on food soon afterwards.

  
        "He may, he may not. When can't really tell when it comes to him," Sakae commented, looking down at her plate. She didn't like this acting thing one bit; at the moment anyways.

          
        "Thanks for dinner, Mom," Light said, standing up and getting a bag of chips.

  
        "You're eating a bag of chips? You just had dinner. Your good looks are gonna go down the drain if you keep that up," Sayu said.

  
        "It's a late night snack for studying," Light said.

  
        Kohaku got up. "That was so yummy! I need to start eating more food like this and not just sweets all the time!"

  
        "Thank you, Mrs. Yagami. It was delicious," Sakae commented.

  
        "You're welcome, dear," Mrs. Yagami replied.

  
        "It really was a yummy meal, Mrs. Yagami! Welp! I'm gonna head home," Kohaku said. "I need to start hanging out with my parents for once, even if it is getting late."

  
        "Wait, so everything is fine with you and your parents? Since when?" Sakae asked.

  
        "A while," Kohaku said. "Turned out they regretted trying to make me a guy. They can't take back what they did and I can't take back the years I spent ignoring them & spending time in my room, but we're making up for it." Kohaku looked at Sakae and smiled. "Don't stay here too late. I'm sure your brother will worry. Laterz." Kohaku left the house with a smile on her face.

  
        Light and Sakae went into Light's room again. Ryuk was laying on Light's bed.

  
        "I think that's it, Light. I found every camera they put in the house. I guess Shinigami get tired when they work hard. Now let me explain where they all are. It's a little bit complicated, so listen up. There's nothing I hate more than explaining something twice," Ryuk said.

  
        "All right. It's time for me to hit the books," Light said.

  
        Sakae jumped onto Light's bed, sitting on the edge of it. "That's right. You did say you were going to study."

  
        "There sure are a lot of cameras in this room. I counted 64 in total. I guess whoever put them here expected you to at least find some of them," Ryuk said.

  
        " _It has to be L. He had no qualms about putting a death row inmate in his place when he declared war on me. It's pretty clear he doesn't know any limits_ ," Light thought.

  
        "Oh, what I want to know is how am I gonna be able to eat apples," Ryuk said.

  
        " _Obviously that's impossible now, isn't it?_ " Light thought.

  
        "We better discuss this outside tomorrow," Ryuk said.

  
        Sakae remained sitting on Light's bed, watching Light silently.

  
        " _Judging by the number of cameras he's planted, he's planning to make a decision within a short period of time. Any normal person would slip under these circumstances. But it won't be that easy with me, L. This is the closest you get!_ " Light opened up the bag of chips. " _I've set things up so that criminals will continue to die over the next three weeks. But L is aware by now that Kira can control the times of deaths of his victims. Therefore, to avoid suspicion, L needs to see that criminals whose names are broadcast continue to die while I have no access to that information_ ," he thought.

  
        "Ahhhh. The symptoms are starting!" Ryuk was doing a handstand, sorta, on Light's bed. Sakae ignored him the best she could and continued watching Light silently.

  
        " _I'm gonna show you, L_ ," Light thought. He was solving problems with his right hand while reaching into the chip back, where a hidden mini TV was and a small piece of paper from the Death Note in it, and secretly wrote a name before pulling his hand out with a chip in hand and eating it. " _With Ryuk's information and my preparations, I can continue to kill criminals whose names are broadcast on the news while masquerading as a typical high school student studying for his entrance exams. Just watch me, L. I'll solve equations with my right hand, and write names with my left._ " Light pulled a chip out of the bag. " _I take a potato chip…_ " He put it to his mouth. " _..And eat it!_ " Light munched on the chip as he wrote with his right hand. He finished up the names and then threw away the bag of chips. " _Now a criminal, who I should have no knowledge of, will die of a heart attack in 40 seconds and the witness to my alibi is L himself_... _and Sakae I guess._ " Light stretched. "All right. Just a little bit longer."

* * *

        In L's hotel room, Watari walks up behind L and Mr. Yagami with a paper in his hand.

  
        "Ryuzaki," Watari said.

  
        "Yes, what is it, Watari?" L asked.

  
        "A few minutes ago, a bank clerk being questioned on suspicion of embezzlement and a purse snatcher being held in a detention center, were broadcast on the news, they both just died of sudden inexplicable heart attacks," Watari said.

  
        "It's him again!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed.

  
        L stared at the TV screen, watching Light. "While all that was happening, at your home, your wife and daughter were watching television. When that was over they turned the TV off and didn't watch anything afterwards. From just past 7:30 until now 11 o'clock, your son has done nothing but study. Kira needs a name and a face. Without those, he can't kill. So I suppose anyone who didn't watch the news can't be Kira, right?"

  
        "You said it yourself. That means my family has been cleared," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "It doesn't make sense that Kira would kill two petty criminals right after their identities were broadcast," L said.

  
        "Huh." Mr. Yagami stared at L.

  
        "I know it's only the first day after the cameras were installed, but the Yagami household seems almost too innocent to me," L stated.

* * *

        Sakae laid on Light's bed, staring up at the ceiling. Kohaku had left not too long ago, leaving Sakae and Light by themselves. Turning on her phone, Sakae lifted her phone up and checked the time. "Hmm…it's starting to get late." She sat up and looked over at Light. "I better head home before Ryuichi gets worried."

  
        Light looked up from his work and turned to Sakae. "Give me a second and I'll walk you home." He turned back to the papers on his desk.

  
        Sakae walked over to her stuff laying on the floor. "You don't have to do that, Light."

  
        "You're a girl, Sakae. Don't need some random guy finding you," Light commented as he pulled away from his desk and got up. "I'm not saying you can't handle yourself."

  
        Sakae pouted slightly. "Idiot." Then she grabbed her stuff and left the room. Light laughed a little then followed behind her.

  
        A few minutes later, the two were walking down the street, towards Sakae's apartment. An awkward silence fell upon the two. Sakae held her school bag against her body, her head down while looking at her feet.

  
        "Sakae?" Light questioned.

  
        "Hmm?" Sakae looked up, only to run into a pole. "Ach! Dammit!" She yelled while rubbing the spot the pole hit her. "This is just great. Now, it's going to bruise."

  
        "Could be worse," Light commented while laughing. Sakae stuck her tongue out at him but smiled a little. The two started to walk again. Silence fell between them again. Light caught a quick glance at Sakae. She held her bag against her body but her head hung low, like she wanted to say something but couldn't. "Okay, you have something to say. What is it?"

  
        Sakae looked up at Light, he stood in front of her, making sure the two of them stopped. She looked down at her feet. "Light, have you ever considered love?"

  
        "Love?" Light looked confused. "I…I can't say that I feel it for anyone but my family but…there could be one person," Light confessed.

  
        "That's a possibility then, I guess," Sakae stated.

  
        "A possibility? Love is a trivial thing. In this world…it gets you nowhere, but…I can't really say. Why are you asking suddenly?" Light asked her.

  
        Sakae looked up at Light, staring him straight in the eyes. "No reason. I was just thinking about it."

  
        "What? Do you have somebody you like?" Light asked.

  
        Sakae shook her head. "Not particularly. The only people I love would be Ryuichi, Kohaku, and you; the three most important people in my life."

  
        "I-I see." Light scratched his hair a little bit, blushing just a little bit.

  
        "Ryuichi!" Sakae called then began running towards her brother. Ryuichi stood against a wall and smiled brightly when his little sister started at him. Light looked towards the side.

  
        Ryuichi walked over to Light with Sakae walking behind him. "Thanks for walking Sakae home, Light. I appreciate it."

  
        "It's no problem. We wouldn't want anything to happen to her," Light commented.

  
        Sakae stuck her tongue out at him then hid behind her brother. "Idiot."

  
        "Hey, hey now, Sakae; it's not nice to call people names," Ryuichi scolded.

  
        Sakae smiled up at him. "I know but that doesn't it's not true."

  
        "Hmm…right now that one," Ryuichi commented then laughed a little.

  
        "Why do you have to agree with her?!" Light yelled only for all of them to bust out laughing.

  
        "We better get inside, Sakae. It's good seeing again you, Light." Ryuichi headed up the stairs, leaving the two friends alone.

  
        Sakae turned to Light with a small smile. "Thank you, Light. I'll see you tomorrow." Sakae gave Light a small hug. Light wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Sakae pulled away and headed upstairs.

  
        Light watched her enter the apartment and disappear. Somehow, he felt a little lonely, watching her leave; a little piece of warmth escaping into a cold abyss. "Sakae, maybe…love wouldn't be so bad if it's…" Light smiled a little then began to walk back home, unknowingly yearning for warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *le gasp* What's that? Light may love Sakae? Sakae may love Light more than just a friend maybe or perhaps its someone else she loves?


	10. Light Meets L

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light...meets L. Like the chapter says. Also, Kohaku and L slowly become friends.

        It's the next day. Light is walking with Ryuk behind him. Light had just left his home not too long ago.

  
        "Are you sure about this?" Light questioned him.

  
        "Yeah, I'm sure nobody's following you, OK." Ryuk was hopping on his right foot. His left leg was shoved behind his right, his right arm was around his abdomen, and his left arm was cocking his head to the side. "Now hurry up already, will ya? The symptoms are getting worse."

  
        "I really hope you're not saying what you think I'd want to hear just to get some apples," Light said.

  
        "Hold it right there. I just flew out and checked 100-meter radius around you and there was no one there. So yeah. For the last time, I'm sure, OK?" Ryuk was getting frustrated.

  
        "All right, but on the news they said they were dispatching 1,500 investigators to Japan," Light stated.

  
        "They're bluffing. You said so yourself. If it were really happening, they wouldn't have announced their arrival. Instead they'd come and investigate secretly," Ryuk said as he hopped along behind Light.

  
        "I suppose you're right. Well then. I'll buy you some apples," Light said.

  
        "Nice!" Ryuk exclaimed.

  
        As Light finally made it to a store and bought some apples for Ryuk, he noticed Kohaku and Sakae who were across the street, walking and talking. "It's Kohaku and Sakae. Hey!" Light yelled out.

  
        Sakae turned to the noise was coming from. "Oh, it's Light."

  
        Kohaku looked as well. "Huh. Sure is. Can't miss 'im."

  
        "Seems like he's bought some apples. I'm guessing for Ryuk," Sakae commented.

  
        "Come on." Kohaku dragged Sakae across the street and over to Light. "Hi Light!"

  
        "What are you two doing out and about?" Light asked them.

  
        "Ask her." Sakae pointed to Kohaku. "She dragged me along."

  
        "I was bored. Like always." Kohaku rubbed the back of her head, grinning. "We were only just walking around." Kohaku sure had a split personality. She's pissed at Light one moment, acts like nothing happened a few days later, and then goes back to hating him.

  
        "You two sure do spend a lot of time together," Light stated.

  
        "We're like sisters...in a way," Sakae replied.

  
        "Yeah! Why are you suddenly saying something like that now?" Kohaku poked his cheek. "Are you jealous that Sakae spends more time with me than you?"

  
        "Why the hell would I be jealous?!" Light yelled.

  
        "I was only joking, you dork." Kohaku smiled. "We're all besties! If Sakae and I hang out without ya, it's mostly because we need to talk about girl things. You know, like crushes and stuff. We can't talk about that if we're with you. You're a guy."

  
        "I'm sure that I'd be able to talk with you two about that stuff. It's not like I'm that dense," Light stated.

  
        "Sure, then you'd like to talk about the really personal things? Like, stuff that happens to ONLY girls?' Sakae asked him.

  
        "I didn't mean that!" Light yelled.

  
        Kohaku laughed.

  
        "Light, Come on. Hurry up!" Ryuk said.

  
        "Come on." Kohaku started walking somewhere. "Let's go some place where we can talk alone."

* * *

        Light, Sakae, and Kohaku found a little area, surrounded by trees and had a park bench. The area was empty. The three friends sat down and Light took an apple from the bag and lifted it up to Ryuk's mouth. Ryuk started eating it.

  
        "You know, you really haven't been that nice to me." Ryuk took a bite outta the apple again. He started to untwist. "You had me looking all over for cameras, telling me that I can't even eat apples in the house any more. It's not right." He was back to normal, completely untwisted up.

  
        "Make sure you eat the core as well," Light stated.

  
        Ryuk did so. "You know, I might actually write your name in my death note and kill you. Just like that." Light laughed a little bit. "I wouldn't laugh if I were you."

  
        "Right," Light said.

  
        "That really isn't something you should laugh at," Kohaku said. "Your life is practically in Ryuk's hands. He can end your life at any moment. Maybe you should be nicer to him."

  
        Sakae looked at Ryuk. "Something tells me he wouldn't unless something bad was truly going to happen."

  
        Kohaku stared at her feet, thinking about everything that has happened so far. " _This is all just a pain in the ass… I think I'm gonna go see L and Mr. Yagami in a few… I'm bored."_ She continued staring at her feet.

  
        "Hmm?" Sakae looked over at Kohaku. "Hey, you okay?"

  
        "I'm fine." Kohaku stood up. "So what are you two gonna do? Head to Light's like usual?"

  
        "I'm actually going to head home. Ryu has something to do tonight and is making me come along," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "That's unusual. What's going on?" Light asked her.

  
        "Company party by the looks of it," Sakae replied.

  
        "That's cool, I guess." Kohaku was still staring at her feet.

  
        "Do you also have plans or something, Kohaku?" Light asked.

  
        "Not really." Kohaku rubbed her arm. "I'm...gonna head home. I don't feel well..."

  
        "I had a feeling something was wrong. Do you want me to walk you home?" Sakae asked while looking at Kohaku with a concerned look.

  
        Kohaku shook her head. "I'll see you two tomorrow more than likely... Bye." Kohaku walked away from them.

  
        "I better head. See ya later, Light!" Sakae took off running in the direction of her home.

  
        "See ya." Light and Ryuk went back to doing what they were doing.

* * *

        Mr. Yagami is standing behind L with paper in his hand. "Hmm. Hey, Ryuzaki."

  
        "Yes," L said.

  
        "I've been thinking about the purse snatcher and the embezzlers heart attacks two days ago. It seems my family couldn't have had any knowledge of them before they died. Shouldn't that resolve any doubt you have?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "You may be right," L said. "Even though Kira can control the time of death, I don't think there's any way he could have arranged their deaths without having seen the broadcast first." L put down the fork in his hand and placed it on his plate that had a slice of strawberry shortcake on it. He looked at the TVs to see Light enter his home. "Hm, your son has come home."

  
        "Hm." Mr. Yagami looked at the screen. "I wonder where Kohaku and Sakae are."

  
        "Well, Kohaku is right behind you," Kohaku stated, having came into the room silently.

  
        Mr. Yagami jumped slightly. "Kohaku?! When did you get here?"

  
        Kohaku walked forward a bit. "Like 20 seconds ago." She looked at the TVs. "I see that Light decided to go home." She stood to the left of L's chair now.

  
        "Why aren't you with Light or Sakae?" Mr. Yagami questioned in wonder. "Aren't you almost always with them?"

  
        "Yeah." Kohaku thought about it. L and Mr. Yagami stared at her. "Sakae went home because her brother is throwing a party or something and I didn't really want to just hang out with Light. It would've been rather awkward or something..."

  
        "Awkward? How so?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Light and I don't really talk all that much when Sakae isn't around. Mostly because we are barely friends nowadays," Kohaku admitted. She wasn't, however, going to tell them the real reason behind that fact.

  
        "What do you mean? Did something happen between the two of you?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Well, I threw his chair at him several days or so ago," Kohaku said calmly.

  
        "What? Why in the world would you do that?!" Mr. Yagami looked quite shocked.

  
        Kohaku shrugged. "I was pissed about something."

  
        "That's strange. I've never really seen any of you get into arguments before," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        L turned to look at Kohaku. "Could I inquire what it was about?"

  
        Kohaku shrugged again. "I don't remember what I was so pissed about."

  
        "It must have been something big if you threw a chair at him," Mr. Yagami commented.

  
        "Probably," Kohaku said. She rubbed her arm. " _It's kinda nice talking about what had happened that one day but...sadly, I can't tell them too much information or they'll know Light is Kira."_

  
        "Hmm...from what I could tell, you and Light are or were best friends. What exactly happened that day?" L asked.

  
        "Like I said, I don't remember." Kohaku stared at the TV screens that showed Light watching TV in his room.

  
        "Then why not help us watch him? Could jog your memory," L suggested.

  
        "Um...sure," she responded.

  
        "You don't have to, Kohaku, if you don't want to," Mr. Yagami told her.

  
        "I don't have anything better to do today. Sitting around, "spying" on Light is a lot better than doing nothing at all," she told him.

  
        "I'm going to go grab something. I'll be right back." Mr. Yagami left the room.

  
        Kohaku sighed and went over to the chair that was to L's right. She sat in it and curled up, staring at the TV screens.

  
        L looked over at Kohaku. "May I ask you a question?"

  
        She blinked and looked at him. "Sure."

  
        "The other day, you mentioned your parents trying to make you into something you're not. Was that all an act or was it true?" L asked.

  
        "It's true. My parents had wanted a boy and were too stupid to find out beforehand so, obviously, they were surprised to see me when I popped out." Kohaku sighed and glanced at the screens. "Since they weren't expecting a girl, they didn't come up with any female names, which is why I hate my name."

  
        "I don't see why you would. I think a name is something someone should be proud of and I just so happen to like your name," L said before looking back at the screens.

  
        They sat there in awkward silence, watching as Light stared at his TV on the screens in front of them. Mr. Yagami walked back into the room with a dark chocolate bar in his hand that he had asked Watari to get for him. He handed it to Kohaku.

  
        "Yay!" She happily got the wrapping off the bar and started eating it.

  
        Mr. Yagami smiled then turned to L. "Anything so far?"

  
        "No," L responded.

  
        "Glad to see you still like dark chocolate, Kohaku," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "Love; I love dark chocolate," she stated, swallowing a piece of the chocolate that was in her mouth. "Thanks by the way."

  
        "You're welcome, Kohaku. Still good in moderation," Mr Yagami commented. Kohaku finished the chocolate and grinned at Mr. Yagami.

* * *

        A few days went by. Kohaku is sitting beside Matsuda on the couch. Ukita, Mogi, Aisawa, Mr. Yagami, and L were sitting around them in chairs. Cups of coffee were sitting on the table.

  
        L ate a Reese's cup. "In the past few days, I've listened to all of our audio recordings and reviewed the video footage we captured, I've gone over them many times. And I've come to a conclusion. Our surveillance of the Kitamura and Yagami households has revealed...nothing. We'll remove the cameras and wiretaps."

  
        "Huh. All that and we still don't have any suspects," Matsuda said.

  
        "It's OK, Matsuda. We'll have to pursue other leads but we'll get him," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Hm, please don't get a wrong idea," L said.

  
        "Huh?" the men questioned.

  
        "He only said that nothing suspicious was revealed based on the surveillance," Kohaku said.

  
        "What?" the men questioned.

  
        Kohaku face-palmed. " _Really…?"_

  
        "Even if Kira was among them, I'm sure he wouldn't make it obvious. No. In fact, it could mean he was able to continue killing without doing anything outwardly suspicious," L stated.

  
        "Well then, you believe that Kira is among one of those families?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "As I've said, there's a 5% chance," L said. He picked up his cup of coffee. " _Kira never stopped killing people even while the surveillance cameras were in place. I still have no idea how he's been able to commit these murders, but let's say he could kill someone simply by wishing death upon them. You'd think that any human being would've shown at least some emotion, some sign that they were knowingly committing an act of murder. So the obvious conclusion is that Kira couldn't be one of them. However what if he is one of these people we've been watching? If he is, we have to assume that his psyche has reached godlike proportions. Punishing evil doers without the slightest change of expression, it almost makes you want to believe that Kira doesn't exist and this is just a wrath of vengeful god. But that idea is completely absurd to think that god would need a person's face and name to kill them. No. These are not acts of god but someone very childish and immature who wants to pretend they're god. That's what's going on here. A mass murderer who calls himself Kira exists somewhere. I'm sure of it and I will catch him. But I can't count on Kira making any mistakes. It doesn't matter how long we watch him, he's not gonna expose himself to us. So what should I do? Ideally, I would get to know him well enough that he'd admit to me that he was Kira, and show me how he kills. Would that even be possible?"_ He sipped his coffee.

  
        Kohaku stood up and walked to another part of the room.

  
        "She's acting a little odd today," Aisawa commented.

  
        "She's always like this," Mr. Yagami said. "I remember her telling me once that she doesn't like being in one place for too long so she likes to move around either constantly or every once in a while."

  
        "I think she's pretty," Matsuda said. The men gave him looks which caused him to add on to what he said. "...Cool. She's pretty cool…"

  
        Kohaku was pacing back and forth away from the men, unaware of them staring at her due to her eyes closed as she paced.

  
        " _This is so stressful. What if L figures out that Light is Kira and then figures out Sakae and I helped him? I'm sure he is going to find out soon. I mean, he is really smart; as smart as Light, maybe even smarter."_ Kohaku's thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone say something.

  
        "Are you alright?"

  
        Kohaku stopped pacing and opened her eyes to find L standing in front of her, staring at her. He had, obviously, gotten up from his chair to check on her.

  
        "Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just… stressed," she admitted.

  
        "That's understandable," L replied.

  
        "I suppose…" Kohaku thought for a moment. "I know you think there is a 5% chance that Light could be Kira...and I heard you that day we met when you said there was little chance that Sakae could be Kira, which is extremely true, but you didn't say anything about a possibility of me being Kira, which deeply confuses me. I thought you would've said something. I mean, I did place a tiny camera I made of Mr. Yagami's shoulder to spy on the meeting before coming right in with Sakae."

  
        "You didn't really have the qualities that someone who could be Kira would have," L stated.

  
        Kohaku blinked. "So… I am trustworthy, then?"

  
        "Neither you or your friend have completely gained my trust, but I never said that couldn't happen," L replied.

  
        Kohaku smiled a little. "That's better than nothing, I suppose." She kissed his cheek and headed back over to the men.

  
        "Well...that's strange…" L mumbled then walked back over to the group.

* * *

        Another day had gone by. The cameras and such that were placed in Light's home had been removed the day before. Light, Kohaku, and Sakae arrived at the entrance of a university. They were there for the University Admissions To-oh University Exam.

  
        "You there! The exam will be starting in ten minutes. So you better hurry up!" an officer yelled at them.

  
        "It's fine. I planned to get here 3 minutes before the test. I hate waiting. I'm here too early," Light said.

  
        "Thanks to us," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Better to be early than late," Sakae said before running ahead to the exam room.

  
        "How is she still full of energy this early?" Light asked.

  
        "Hell if I know," Kohaku responded.

  
        "Let's go get this over with then." Light sighed then followed in the direction Sakae went. Kohaku followed him.

* * *

        Light, Sakae, and Kohaku are sat at different areas of the room. Kohaku looked very uncomfortable being stuck in a room full of people. Light looked bored and wanted to hurry up & get it over with. Sakae sat quietly, observing everyone until the exam started.

  
        "And begin!" the examiner said.

  
        Everyone picked up their pencils and began to test. The examiner noticed something and moved towards the back.

  
        "Hm? You there. Student No.162, sit properly in your chair," the examiner said.

  
        Light was curious as to whom the examiner was speaking to and glanced behind him. L was sitting the way he usually did and he stared back at Light. The stare off lasted for about five minutes before Light looked back at the exam and began to do it.

  
        Kohaku noticed L from where she sat. She was surprised. " _What the hell is he doing here?!"_ she thought.

* * *

        The exam was over and everyone was heading out. Sakae and Light were walking together. They noticed that Kohaku wasn't with them.

  
        "Huh? Where's Kohaku?" Light wondered.

  
        Sakae shrugged. "She probably wandered off like she's been doing lately."

  
        She hadn't wandered off though. Kohaku waited for L to exit the room they had took the exam in. Once he did, she gripped his arm and pulled him aside.

  
        "Why are you here? Are you crazy?" Kohaku questioned him.

  
        "Testing a theory," L replied.

  
        "Testing a theory? You came here, risking meeting Kira, to test a theory?!" Kohaku exclaimed.

  
        "Exactly. I couldn't test it from where I was," L stated.

  
        "You really are crazy..." Kohaku sighed.

  
        "It comes to the work, being crazy is needed," L commented.

  
        Kohaku half-smiled. "Yeah, no kidding."

  
        "Are you going to go back to your friends?" L asked her.

  
        "Probably not, now that I am worried you'll get yourself killed," Kohaku stated. "Besides, they probably think I just wandered off like I've been doing recently."

  
        "Wouldn't they still worry about you?" L asked again.

  
        "They always worry about me," she replied. "It's actually quite annoying."

  
        "That's what friends do. I feel like you should be lucky to have them," L said.

  
        "I am lucky to have them; they are the only friends I have. Everybody else just stays away from me because they are either afraid of me or think I'm weird," she stated.

  
        "Afraid? Why would someone be afraid of you?" L asked.

  
        "Someone insulted me behind my back, I heard them, I broke that person's arm...and leg...and maybe a few ribs. I have a hard time controlling my anger, obviously." Kohaku thought for a second. "You've been talking to me a lot more lately. It's weird."

  
        "How so?" L looked around a little.

  
        "Well, we don't usually have conversations that last more than a minute," she stated.

  
        "Is that a bad thing?" L asked.

  
        "What? No. It's not. It's just...I don't know." Kohaku rubbed the back of her head. She was at a loss for words.

  
        "Don't know what to say then," L commented.

  
        "...I like talking to you," Kohaku admitted.

  
        "Glad to hear that then. I find talking with you enjoyable," L stated.

  
        Kohaku smiled a little. "That's... nice to know. Come on." She started walking away.

  
        L followed her. "Is there somewhere in particular you are taking me?"

  
        "Is Watari picking you up?" she asked.

  
        "Yes." L thought for a second. "I see." He understood what she was doing.

  
        The two of them walked out of the university and headed towards the entrance where Watari waited in a limo.

  
        "A limo? Ain't you fancy," Kohaku teased.

  
        "Would you like a ride?" L offered.

  
        Kohaku shook her head. "No thank you. I rather walk so I can constantly be moving around. It's too uncomfortable being in one place for far too long, which will make tending classes at this university very unenjoyable for me if I get in."

  
        L just nodded and got into the limo. He left the limo door open. "Will I be seeing you later today?"  
  


        "Most definitely." Kohaku smiled. "See ya." She shut the limo door for him. Watari soon drove the limo away. "Oh, L…  _It seems that I am falling for you. At first… I wasn't sure, but now, I know that I, indeed, like you a lot more than I should. Oh, what am I going to do…? I can't tell him Light is Kira… because, despite that I hate Light's guts every now and then...and I am hardly friends with him still, I still don't want Light to be killed. L will hate me if he finds out I helped Light kill criminals at one point…"_ She began to walk home slowly.

* * *

        Three months have gone by. Kohaku had hardly spoken to Light and Sakae, spending most of her time with L, who began to talk to her a lot more and enjoy her company a lot more than he had before. Light and Sakae didn't know what was up with Kohaku; they just thought that she was either busy or sick, which made them worry about their best friend.

  
        Sakae and Light stood in front of the University. Light was dressed professionally and Sakae was dressed up professionally as well.

  
        "You're a college student now. That's kind of exciting. I'm filled with joy," Ryuk said from behind them.

  
        "You think Kohaku will make it here today?" Light asked Sakae, completely ignoring Ryuk.

  
        "I don't see why she wouldn't. It's a big day!" Sakae said with a small smile.

  
        "Hey guys." The two turned to see Kohaku, dressed in her usual attire. She didn't care that she wasn't dressed how she was suppose to.

  
        "Kohaku, hey, you feeling better?" Light asked.

  
        "Mhm." Kohaku smiled. "You guys missed me, didn't you?"

  
        "Yes," Light admitted.

  
        "We were also worried about you," Sakae said. "We visited your home a lot but you were never there. Where were you?"

  
        "Um…at a friend's place," Kohaku admitted.

  
        "For three months?" Sakae questioned.

  
        "Mhm," Kohaku said, biting her lip. It was kinda true. She visited L for three months but she would always head home at the end of the day.

  
        "Okay. Um, couldn't you have worn something else?" Light gestured to her clothing. "Something more… formal or professional?"

  
        "Nope. I am not gonna dress in something that isn't for me." Kohaku stretched. "Let's get this shit over with."

* * *

        "Now for the freshman address," the principal said. "Freshman representative, Light Yagami."

  
        "Yes." Light stood up and headed to stand in front of everyone.

  
        "And freshman representative, Hideki Ryuga," the principal said.

  
        "Oh, um, here," L responded, getting up as well and heading to stand before everyone, walking right behind Light.

  
        Light began a speech. "As all of us embark on this new chapter of our lives…"

  
        Some people were muttering to themselves. Kohaku and Sakae happened to be sitting in front of these people.

  
        "The student who scores the highest on the test is supposed to give the speech, right?" a student asked someone beside him.

  
        "I guess both of them must've had the high score this year," a student replied.

  
        "I heard they both had perfect scores on all subjects," another student said.

  
        "Seriously?" yet another student questioned.

  
        "It's hard to believe there are actually people like that," someone else said.

  
        "I think I like the little one on the right," a female named Kyoko said. She was talking about L. Kohaku overheard her and found herself growling lowly.

  
        "What? He's so weird, Kyoko. Look at how he's dressed. Almost like that girl in front of us," a female student said.

  
        Kohaku wanted very badly to rip both of the girls' heads off.

  
        "Calm down," Sakae whispered.

  
        "Easy for you to say. They aren't saying shit about you," Kohaku whispered angrily.

  
        "Man, those two are total opposites," a male student said.

  
        "Yeah. This one looks like a sheltered genius who's been groomed for success his whole life, but the other one…" the student paused.

  
        "As we embark on this new chapter in our lives…" L read from a paper he was holding up oddly.

  
        "There's something not right about him. He's just freakin' weird," the student continued. "This guy must be what they call a mad genius. Coming to the To-oh entrance ceremony dressed like that? Unbelievable! Either he's crazy or he's just toying with us."

  
        "That girl over there came here wearing almost the same thing he is," someone replied to the student, gesturing towards Kohaku.

  
        Eventually, everyone stopped mumbling to themselves and L & Light sat right in front of Sakae & Kohaku. The girls could hardly hear their conversation because they were talking very quietly.

  
        "You're planning to join the police agency when you graduate and you've already got experience seeing as you've helped police solve a number of cases in the past. Now you're showing an interest in the Kira case. I'm impressed by your abilities and your sense of justice. If you promise not to tell anyone about this, I have important information concerning the Kira investigation that I'd like to share with you," L said.

  
        " _Where is this coming from? And who is he? Is it safe to just ignore him? But I wonder what this information actually is_ ," Light thought. "I won't tell anyone. What is it?"

  
        "I want to tell you I'm L," he whispered to Light.

  
        Light was surprised. " _What!? There's no way. What's he talking about? If he really was L, he'd never admit to it. I thought this guy was a bit strange, but...this is pretty extreme. Stop. This isn't good. Don't act surprised. On the off chance that he really is L, I have to act how Soichiro Yagami's son, Light Yagami would act in the situation. There'd be no reason for him to be afraid._ "

  
        Light wasn't the only one who had been surprised.

  
        " _What the hell is L thinking?!"_ Kohaku screamed in her head.

  
        "If you are who you say you are, then you have nothing but my respect and admiration," Light said to L.

  
        "Thank you. The reason I chose to reveal my identity to you is because I think you could be some help to us on the Kira investigation," L stated. " _Light Yagami. The likelihood that you are Kira is just under 5%. Even so, something tells me I'm not wrong to suspect you, but you're just too perfect. If you are Kira, I can't think of anything that would put more pressure on you than this little scenario_."

  
        "If this guy is really L like he says, then consider me impressed," Ryuk commented, watching.

  
        " _Indeed, if this guy really is L, No, even if he's not L, I...I can't do anything to him. If what he's saying is true, it probably means he's already shown his face to my father. But now, if he were to die right after telling me who he was, it would only confirm their suspicions. Although it's obvious Hideki Ryuga is nothing more than an absurd alias, it still complicates things. Even if I get lucky and it isn't an alias, if I try to kill him by simply writing his name in the death note, I might accidentally picture the face of Ryuga the pop star, and end up killing him instead. And if this guy doesn't die, he'll know for a fact that I'm Kira. Is he really L? Does he already suspect that I'm Kira? It's hard to say how much he knows but I must be under suspicion. What other reason could he have for telling Soichiro Yagami's son that he's L? Does this mean that he's still suspicious of the people that Raye Penber was investigating before he died? Even so, I still don't see why he would reveal himself to me directly. I can't let him see any signs of distress. It's better if I just clear my mind,"_  Light thought.

  
        " _This isn't good…"_ Sakae thought.

  
        " _I really wish L didn't reveal himself to Light… Now, Light is just one step closer to figuring out how to kill L… I don't want that to happen…"_ Kohaku thought.

* * *

        Light, Sakae, and Kohaku were outside. A few of the students gave Kohaku an odd look as they went by.

  
        "I swear, if anyone says something about what I am wearing, I'm throwing a brick at their head," Kohaku growled.

  
        "Why care? It's not like their opinions matter," Sakae stated.

  
        "Their opinions are annoying as fuck!" Kohaku clenched her fists.

  
        "Then why are you worrying about them?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Because they are annoying!" Kohaku exclaimed. She was still kinda angry about L's "fangirl".

  
        "Annoying yes but you don't have to worry about them," Sakae said, trying to calm Kohaku.

  
        "Shut up!" Kohaku yelled.

  
        "Kohaku...I'm only trying to calm you down. Usually you wouldn't worry about what other people thought but...somehow, I think you've changed," Sakae commented with a grim look.

  
        "Whatever..." Kohaku really needed to learn how to control her anger, especially over something so stupid.

  
        "Did something happen over the past few months or today even?" Sakae asked.

  
        Kohaku didn't answer.

  
        "I didn't think this ceremony would be so interesting," Ryuk commented.

  
        "Hey Light," they heard L call out.

  
        "You hear that? I think it's your new friend," Ryuk said.

  
        L walked past them. "Eh, nice meeting you."

  
        "No. The pleasure was mine," Light said.

  
        L walked up to a nice looking black car.

  
        "What an amazing car!" a student exclaimed.

  
        "A limousine?" another questioned.

  
        L looked towards Light. "Well, I'm sure I'll see you on campus."

  
        "Yeah. Take care," Light said.

  
        L glanced over at Kohaku. She gave him a small smile, instantly forgetting what she was so mad about. L got into the car and Watari closed the door for him before he got into the driver's seat and drove off.

  
        "Make a new friend, Light?" Sakae asked.

  
        "I guess you could say that," Light replied.

  
        Sakae looked over at Kohaku. "Girl, I think you got it bad," She teased.

  
        "I what?" Kohaku looked at her.

  
        "You like him," Sakae said with a smile.

  
        "What? You two know him already?" Light questioned, confused slightly.

  
        "Yea, we've meet him once or twice before," Sakae replied.

  
        "He is the friend I was talking about..." Kohaku said hesitantly.

  
        Light looked a little shocked but Sakae was grinning like an idiot. "I freaking knew it. You must really like him then," Sakae commented.

  
        "...Yeah," Kohaku admitted. "I really like him..." She blushed a little, realizing she just said that. "I mean a-as a friend!"

  
        "The way you blush says otherwise," Sakae teased.

  
        "Are you sure about that, Kohaku? I think Sakae may be right one this one," Light agreed.

  
        "Okay, I like him a lot and I don't see what the big deal is," Kohaku pouted.

  
        "You like someone. For you, I'm guessing that's kind of rare. So, I'm happy for you," Sakae said with a smile.

  
        Kohaku rubbed the back of her head. "Thanks, I guess…?"

  
        "I guess...this is a good thing then? I don't know how to react to it," Light said. Honestly, he didn't like it at all.

  
        "I'm also going to take a guess and say that you're going to go see him later today. Am I right?" Sakae asked Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku nodded, blushing again.

  
        "Well, good luck on that. I've got to head somewhere now. See you two later!" Sakae waved at the two of them as she ran off.

  
        "Guess I'll see you some other time then." Light walked off with Ryuk following him.

  
        "Those two are crazy…" Kohaku mumbled.

* * *

        Light was in his room. He sat at his desk and began to lose his cool. "Damn it! He got me! Not only that, but Kohaku likes him and even knew him for a while!"

  
        "Ah, what do you mean?" Ryuk questioned.

  
        "Damn L! I've never been so humiliated in my life." Light slammed his fists on his desk.

  
        "Hey, why don't you just do the Shinigami eye deal?" Ryuk suggested. "Then you should have no problem killing him, right?"

  
        "What good will Shinigami eyes do me if this is just a trap? If I kill him and it turns out that he's not really L, that would be like announcing to the real L that I am Kira," Light explained angrily.

  
        "Sorry," Ryuk said.

  
        "Don't think that Shinigami killing people and human's killing people the same thing because they are not! I want nothing more than to kill him, but if I do, it's like asking to get caught. Unfortunately, the death note can only kill the person whose name is written in it. So it's not like I can arrange for someone else to kill him. It's inconvenient. That's the flaw with the death note." Light had completely lost his cool.

  
        " _Light is usually so calm, but he's snapped. This must be getting to him_ ," Ryuk thought.

  
        "At first I thought once I found out his name, I'd have him die in an accident or kill himself. However, none of them would do me any good unless I know with a 100% certainty that this guy is L. No. It's already too late to do anything about it since he's approached me and introduced himself as L. It doesn't matter how sure I am. Regardless of the cause of death, if L dies now, the police are going to suspect me. I underestimated him. I've never even considered the possibility that he would reveal his identity to me on purpose. He could be telling all the suspects the same thing. In fact it doesn't even have to be him. He could've sent a double instead. For L, this strategy acts as a solid defense and it allows him to confront Kira directly. He can defend and attack. He got me. It was a good move. I'm sure I haven't seen the last of Ryuga. He'll keep trying to move in on me, playing the absent-minded genius, and we'll pretend like nothing's going on. Hell, he'll be hanging out with Kohaku." Light started laughing. "Hahaha. This is perfect. There's no reason for me to be worried. After all this is proof that they don't have anything on me yet. So this whole thing is nothing more than a contest between L and me. A match of wits. On the surface we'll be two friendly classmates, but in reality we'll actually be investigating each other." He was no longer talking to Ryuk now. He stared at his ceiling. "This is interesting, Ryuga. If it's my friendship you want, I'll gladly accept it. In time I'll earn your trust, And once you've told me what I want to know, there'll be no point keeping you alive. Then I'll kill you, with my hands if I have to."

* * *

        Sakae was walking out of karate studio with a duffle bag hanging form her shoulder. Ryuichi stood against his car waiting for her to notice him. A small smile appeared on Sakae's face. "Hey, Ryu, what are you doing here?" She asked while walking over to him.

  
        "What? I can't pick up my little sister? I can't be a doting brother?" Ryuichi teased. The two laughed as they got into the car. "Have fun today? Learn anything new from your sensei?"

  
        "Oh, yeah! A little tough at first but once I get the hang of things, it gets a big easier. Soon enough, I won't have to worry about being protected so much." Sakae let out a small sigh. "Kohaku and Light…they protect me more than I liked them too. With this, I'll be able to protect them." She balled her hand into a fist and a big smile appeared on her face. "I shall do it!"

  
        "At a girl." Ryuichi let out a small laugh. "What do you feel like having to eat tonight?" He asked.

  
        "Hmm…I guess it doesn't matter. Maybe something with pasta or noodles would be good," Sakae replied.

  
        "Maybe just some spaghetti or something?" Ryuichi suggested.

  
        "Yea! That sounds good," Sakae said before settled back in the car seat.

  
        After a couple minutes, the two siblings walked into their apartment. Sakae walked to her room and jumped onto the bed, feeling a little sleepy. "This bed; this bed is my love."

  
        "Okay, Ms. Bed, dinner will be ready in a few minutes." Ryuichi had entered her room suddenly.

  
        Sakae jumped up and reflexively threw a pillow at the door, which hit Ryuichi in the face. "Why the heck do you scare me so much?!"

  
        "Because you're easy to scare; I'm guessing that's only with me though." Ryuichi shrugged. "Now, instead of making out with your bed, come help me with some things in the kitchen." Then he walked out of the room and back to the kitchen.

  
        Sakae jumped off her bed to follow him. "The only reason you scare me so much is because your face seems to scare a lot. It's like; no wonder you don't have a girlfriend. Girls are too scared to get next to you."

  
        Ryuichi flipped a knife up from his cutting board and pointed it at Sakae with a mischievous smile. "Then I'm guessing you can't really tell."

  
        "What? What can't I tell?" Sakae wondered

  
        "Those times I've come home later than usual; I've been out with a friend, someone who I think likes me a lot," Ryuichi confessed.

  
        "A girl? An actual girl?! That's amazing! I'm happy for you." Sakae's heart ached a little bit, knowing that she wouldn't be only girl in her brother's life for much longer, but there was easily overcame by the happiness she felt for him.

  
        After dinner, Sakae laid on her bed with a pillow being squeezed by her arms. Her mind was racing with thoughts. " _Love? Could I possibly find it?_ " She thought of her friends and blushed. She pushed her face into the pillow to try and hide it. In her heart, she could feel  
things were starting to grow, even with a very ominous tone to it.

* * *

        L is in his hotel room, sitting like he usually did on the couch. In front of him is a table and it's full of sweets. Watari is sitting in a chair across from him, watching L silently.

  
        "She should be here soon," L mumbled. He ate some of the slice of strawberry shortcake that laid in front of him on the table.

  
        Watari nodded and continued watching L. For three months, Kohaku had been coming over to see L and him. For these three months, he noticed that L began to speak to Kohaku more and more, even starting some of their conversations himself. Watari had even caught L smiling to himself a few times when Kohaku was visiting. He noticed earlier when he picked up L from the university that he seemed a bit anxious. He seemed quite anxious now.

  
        L stared at the sweet-filled table. What he said to Kohaku three months ago was true; he did enjoy speaking with her. As those three months went by, he grew to enjoy speaking to her more. L had realized the night before this one that he had began to care for Kohaku. Deeply. He was unsure why he had begun to care for her so much; was he falling for her or did he just simply become rather close to her? He wasn't completely sure.

  
        L looked at Watari, who happened to still be watching him. "Watari, what are your thoughts about Kohaku?"

  
        Watari blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected L to ask him such a question. "Well, she's a very nice young lady with quite the temper. She is also a bit quiet, especially during the meetings; she doesn't speak very often during them anymore. She has the same love for sweets as you do, but she really loves dark chocolate. I'm quite glad that she comes over to accompany us. She's delightful."

  
        L nodded slowly. " _Watari approves of her… I'll keep that in mind"_

  
        Ten seconds went by. Kohaku let herself into L's hotel room and went to where the meetings normally took place. She was quite surprised to see all the sweets on the table: several types of cake, several kinds of candy, some chocolate of all kinds, and three stacks of dark chocolate bars; 30 in total.

  
        "Woah," she said. "Are we having a party or something?" She walked over to the couch and curled up to L's right. She smiled at Watari. "How are you today, Watari?"

  
        He smiled at her. "I am doing well, Ms Kohaku. You do not have to ask me everyday."

  
        She smiled more. "But that would be rude." She looked at L who looked at her at the same exact time. "How are you, L?"

  
        "I am well," he replied. "And you?"

  
        "I'm doing okay, I guess." She leaned towards the table to grab a few of the dark chocolate bars as well as some of the candy that laid on the table.

  
        "Are you happy that you got into the university?" L asked.

  
        "I guess." She took the wrapping of a dark chocolate bar and bit into it. "I only took the entrance exam because Sakae and Light wanted me to; they wanted all of us to be in the same college. It's not like we'll have the same classes."

  
        L stared at her in wonder. "You don't want to go to college?"

  
        "I didn't even want to stay in high school," she admitted. "So yeah, I don't really want to go to college. I'm sure I told you this already, but I hate not being able to sit the way I want in those uncomfortable chairs…" She pouted a little, munching on her chocolate snack. "I couldn't stand it so I always went to sleep during class; just to keep myself from losing my fucking mind."

  
        L nodded. He took another bite of his cake.

  
        "Would you like anything to drink?" Watari offered.  
  


        "No thank you," Kohaku answered politely.

  
        "I would like a cup of coffee," L said.

  
        Watari nodded, stood up, and headed to the kitchen.

  
        "So, do you finally trust me?" Kohaku asked L.

  
        "...I suppose," L said.

  
        "Awesome! So does this mean we are officially friends?" she asked, poking his cheek multiple times.

  
        "Please stop poking me," L said.

  
        Kohaku giggled. "Sorry." She stopped and ate the candy she took off the table. "So, are we?"

  
        "I suppose," he said.

  
        "Yay!" She leaned over and kissed his cheek. L found himself blushing just the tiniest bit.

  
        Watari watched them from the kitchen, grinning to himself. He knew L since he was young and he knew that Kohaku had stolen L's heart. Whether L believed in the fact or not, he was slowly, but surely, falling in love with Kohaku…


	11. Tests and A Heart Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter's name is self explanatory.

        Sakae, Light, Kohaku, and L are at the tennis court, at the university they are attending. L was holding a tennis racket and Light was getting his. Light was also dressed in an outfit fit for tennis while L was wearing his usual clothing.

  
        "I have to admit I was surprised, Ryuga. I never thought you'd ask me to play tennis as a way to get to know each other," Light said.

  
        "Is it a problem for you?" L questioned him.

  
        "Not at all, but when you first invited me to play, did you know how good I was?" Light asked.

  
        "Yes. I'll be fine, though. It's been a while, but at one time, I was actually the British Junior Champion," L said.

  
        "That's awesome," Kohaku said.

  
        " _If I ask him if he's British, will he think I'm trying to find out more about him because I'm Kira? Well, can't hurt to try_ ," Light thought. "Ryuga, were you raised in the UK?"

  
        "I lived in England for about 5 years, when I was younger, but save your breath. Nothing in that story would reveal L's true identity, I promise you," L said.

  
        "Oh, is that so?" Light wondered.

  
        "Well, since it's our first match, why don't we just play single set, first one to six?" L suggested.

  
        "That's fine by me," Light replied.

  
        The two of them walked onto the court. Kohaku looked at Sakae. "So, how are you?" she asked.

  
        "Hmm? Oh, I'm doing fine. How are things with you?" Sakae looked at Kohaku.

  
        "Okay, I guess," Kohaku responded.

  
        "And how is love treating you?" Sakae asked with a small smile.

  
        "Love?" Kohaku wondered.

  
        "Yea, how are things going in the love department?" Sakae clarified.

  
        "...Love?" Kohaku wondered again. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

  
        "Sure, like I don't see the way you two look at each other," Sakae commented. "The feelings are there, just...hidden. Is that the word?"

  
        Kohaku stared at her for a few moments. "...Maybe you are right. I might be in love with him, but I highly doubt he thinks of me as more than a friend."

  
        Sakae sighed a little and nudged Kohaku's shoulder. "Then look. You're not very observant when it comes to these things. And from what I've seen, either he loves you very much or will friendzone you hard. To me, it's the love that wins."

  
        "Pfft, whatever." Kohaku decided to distract Sakae. "I turned 19 about three weeks ago. Did you know that?"

  
        "Yes, I remember. I wanted to get you something but had no idea what to get you. Plus, I haven't gotten the chance to really see you," Sakae said.

  
        Kohaku rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that, by the way. Just...couldn't stay away from...you know."

  
        "Ah, I see." Sakae smiled. "I think that is really adorable. Were you able to spend your birthday with Ryuga?"

  
        "What kind of question is that?" Kohaku poked Sakae's cheek. "I spent 3 months with him, so duh, of course I did. We had a lot of sweets and a lot of cake...just like every other day."

  
        "Hey!" Sakae swatted at Kohaku's hand. "No touching my cheek." A playful smile crossed her lips.

  
        "We should probably just shut up and watch the tennis match." Kohaku looked towards where L and Light were. "I'm surprised they hadn't started while we were so busy chatting."

  
        "That's guys for ya. No matter who they are, going to be a little slow." Sakae stared at the guys, judging what they were going to do next. She raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

  
        " _This is just a friendly game of tennis, nothing more. In and of itself, it won't determine if Light is Kira. But I know Kira hates to lose_ ," L thought. He tossed the tennis ball into the air and hit it hard, causing it to fly past Light and hit the fence behind him. Ryuk had moved out of the way, like the tennis ball was gonna hurt him if it touched him.

  
        "Damn," Kohaku stated.

  
        Sakae blinked. "He ain't playing around."

  
        Light was staring at L in surprise.

  
        "Fifteen love," L stated.

  
        Light forced a smile. "Whoa, Ryuga. You sure don't mess around."

  
        "He who strikes first wins," L stated.

  
        The two began to play, hitting the tennis ball back and forth. It seemed like the whole school was there to watch.

  
        " _Great… I hate crowds…_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        A male student with sunglasses on spoke. "Are these two really amateurs? Who are they anyway?"

  
        A male student standing beside him answered. "I think their names are Light Yagami and Hideki Ryuga. These are the same two guys who scored perfect on the exam."

  
        "I wish they'd just shut up and watch," Kohaku whispered.

  
        Sakae smiled a little. "Let them talk. It's normal for people to gossip."

  
        "Doesn't mean it ain't annoying as hell," Kohaku mumbled.

  
        " _While it's true that Kira hates losing, it's also true that most people would rather win than lose. It's human nature_." L hit the ball back to Light's side.

  
        " _Is he going to think that I'm Kira if I go for the win? I suppose I could just lose on purpose, but if I'd do, it could work against me. Since he'd expect Kira to want to win, he might also expect me to throw the match to avoid suspicion_." He hit the ball back to L's side and was ready to hit it again. " _I don't see any way that he can profile me, based on a tennis match. So, I have to assume he has some other goal in mind. Either way, I'm not going to let him win!_ " He hit the ball back once again and L missed it.

  
        "Look at that. He's going for the win," L muttered.

  
        "That's 4 games all. Light Yagami to serve," the judge said.

  
        One of the male students that had talked earlier had wandered off and was running back to his friends.

  
        "Ah, you won't believe this. I thought I'd heard the name Light Yagami somewhere before, so I checked. He was the 0203 Junior High tennis champion. Apparently during the 3rd year award ceremony, he announced that he was hanging up his racket, and I guess he hasn't played competitively since," the student said.

  
        "Hey, hey. What about my Ryuga? Don't tell me you haven't noticed him holding his own against this former junior high champ," Kyoko said.

  
        Kohaku felt one of her veins pop. She turned to glance at the girl. "Your Ryuga, you say?" she said calmly. Kyoko and a few students looked in her direction. Kohaku turned to them fully. "What the hell makes you think he is yours, huh?! You should just shut the hell up!"

  
        "What the hell is your problem?" Kyoko's female friend asked her, glaring.

  
        "Kohaku...uh...please calm down…" Sakae said.

  
        "I suppose you like Ryuga, too?" the male with the sunglasses questioned.

  
        Kohaku ignored him and got in Kyoko's face. "I've known him longer than you have so he is mine, not yours, four-eyes." She growled at Kyoko.

  
        Sakae pulled Kohaku away from Kyoko. "It's just a simple crush she has on him."

  
        "I don't care," Kohaku said, glaring at Kyoko with hatred. "Any girl who likes him can drop dead."

  
        Sakae let out a playful sigh. "Jealousy, I see. Ignore her. He wouldn't pay any attention to her; considering..." She smirked a little. "...He only has eyes for you," She whispered.

  
        Kohaku blushed, her anger long gone. "Shut up..."

  
        "Then are you going to leave the petty jealousy behind?" Sakae poked Kohaku's cheek, trying to get a smile out of her.

  
        Kohaku pouted. "Whatever."

  
        Sakae let out a small laugh. "Aww, how cute!"

  
        Kohaku smiled a little. "Shut up."

  
        "You smiled! I win!" Sakae clapped her hands together. "You know, you really should smile more. You look really pretty when you do."

  
        "Eh… thanks…" Kohaku blushed a tiny bit. "So...is there anyone you love?"

  
        "Hmm?" Sakae thought for a moment. "Someone that I truly love? No one really comes to mind. But...he could be right beside me and I'd never know."

  
        "Pfft," Kohaku scoffed. "And you say that I'm not very observant."

  
        The girls looked back to the tennis match.

  
        " _I can see the wheels turning, Light Yagami. I'm already in your head_ ," L thought. He hit the ball to Light's side once again.

  
        " _There's no way this tennis match would deepen our friendship. This is a token gesture, and an elaborate act to go through so we can say we're closer,_ " Light thought, hitting the ball back at L.

  
        " _Because I wanted to play tennis with you, you'll assume that I'm preparing to take a step closer, laying the groundwork to get to know you better,_ " L thought, hitting the ball back.

  
        " _And then you're going to try and trap me, by getting me to say something that only Kira would know_ ," Light thought, hitting the ball back.

  
        " _However, I'm sure you'll tell me you need to know if you can trust me first. And of course, the only way to win your trust would be to share what I know about Kira_ ," L thought, hitting the ball back.

  
        Light ran and hit the ball back again. " _If you want me to discuss Kira with you, it only makes sense that I want to ask for proof that you ARE in charge of the investigation. And more importantly, that you are really L as you say you are._ "

  
        L ran to where the ball was heading and hit it back towards Light. " _So it goes without saying that the first thing you are going to want from me is…_ "

  
        " _Some kind of confirmation from a third party that you really are L, which means…_ " Light began to think.

  
        The two thought the same thing at the same time. " _We'll have to go to the task force headquarters_."

  
        " _In all things, one cannot win with defense alone. To win, you must attack!_ " Light ran closer to the net and hit the ball rather roughly, sending it flying. L misses it, causing Light to win.

  
        "Game and set. Won by Light Yagami. Six games to four!" the judge said.

* * *

        Sakae, Light, L, and Kohaku are walking. Light is wearing a slightly different attire now, having put on a sweat jacket. The girls were walking behind the guys, listening to their conversation.

  
        "Just as I expected, you beat me," L stated.

  
        "It's been awhile since I had played that hard. I'm feeling kind of thirsty. Plus there's something I wanted to ask you about. You wanna go somewhere for a drink?" Light asked.

  
        "You humored me with the tennis match. The least I can do is answer some of your questions. But before this conversation goes any further, there's something I must tell you," L said.

  
        "What's that?" Light questioned.

  
        Sakae and Kohaku looked at each other, having a strong feeling on what he was gonna say.

  
        "I suspect that you, Light Yagami, are in fact Kira. Now, if you still wanna ask me something, then please go ahead," L said.

  
        Light stopped walking and L walked a little ahead before he stopped walking, turning to face Light. The girls stopped as well. Light laughed a little. The girls could tell it was a fake laugh. "Haha, you think I'm Kira?"

  
        "Well, when I say I suspect you, it's only a 1% possibility. That aside, I don't mind telling you that once I'm sure you aren't Kira and I can verify that your deductive skills are as strong as I think they are, I'd like nothing more than to have you work with me on this investigation," L said.

  
        " _1% huh?That was well-worded because no matter how little he says he suspects me, it means he has grounds to prevent me from meeting anyone of the task force. It was quite the preemptive move on his part. He got me_ ," Light thought.

  
        " _This is going to get ugly_." Sakae thought to herself, looking between the two guys. "Hey, Light, you mentioned earlier about getting something to drink. How about we get some lunch also?"

  
        "Huh?" Light turned to the girls. "Yea, that sounds fine."

  
        "You forgot we were here, didn't you?" Kohaku questioned him. "Makes sense. We were walking behind ya quietly."

  
        "What? Of course I'd never forget the two of you were there." Light scratched the back of his head. L was quiet, silently watching and listening to them.

  
        "Yep. He did," Sakae commented. "Too busy being all buddy, buddy." Kohaku laughed a little.

  
        "Okay, fine. I did forget. Happy?" Light admitted. " _Are they in on whatever Ryuga is planning? I mean, they know him and he doesn't seem to care that he is revealing things in front of them. Maybe he really is L."_

  
        "Got him!" Sakae smiled in triumph. "How often does he admit to stuff?" She thought out loud.

  
        "Um..." Kohaku thinks about it. "Not often? I don't know! I don't pay attention to half the shit he does."

  
        "Neither do I. I guess this is a first in a while," Sakae said with a playful smile.

  
        "Will you two stop talking about me?" Light asked.

  
        "Why? Getting uncomfortable or something?" Sakae asked him.

  
        "No," Light replied.

  
        L continued to remain quiet as he watched the three talk. It was interesting to say the least. As the four of them stood there, three male students walked by and started to check Sakae out. One male was blonde, the second male was rather tall, and the last male wore a hat.

  
        "Hello, sexy~" the blonde male flirted, winking at Sakae.

  
        "Wanna come play with us?" the male with the hat said.

  
        Sakae turned to the direction in which the taunts were coming from. "Get the fuck out of here!"

  
        "Ooh, feisty." One of the guys, the tall one, laughed and did a wolf whistle.

  
        "That's it." Sakae rolled up her left sleeve, almost like she was going to go do something to them.

  
        "Yea, come on with us. Gonna have a real good time," the tall one teased while his two friends started laughing.

  
        "Sakae," Light called out and put his hand on her shoulder.

  
        "They need to be taught a freaking lesson! I'm tired of this shit happening," Sakae yelled out.

  
        "Is that your girlfriend, dude?" The tall one called out.

  
        "Don't worry, we won't hurt her...much," the blonde said. All three of them laughed again. Light balled his fist a little bit, unbeknownst to the people around him.

  
        " _Should I do something_?" L wondered as he watched the drama happen before his eyes.

  
        "Leave, you fucking bastards." Sakae turned back to her friends.

  
        "Not until you come with us," The blonde one said.

  
        "She isn't going anywhere with you," Kohaku said, speaking for the first time since the guys showed up.

  
        "Hmm…" L watched Kohaku, wanting to see what she'd do.

  
        "Why? Are you going to come with us instead or something? Sorry but you're not our type," blondie joked, receiving laughs from his friends.

  
        "Like hell I'd want to be anywhere with you jackasses and also, you really shouldn't have said that. Actually, you shouldn't have stopped to harass my friend." Kohaku headed towards them, glaring at them. "You should've kept walking."

  
        "Ooh, I'm so scared. What are you going to do to us, anyway?" The one wearing a hat asked.

  
        "Koh-" Light tried to say but was cut short by Sakae shushing him. L, Light, and Sakae watched as Kohaku grabbed the hat male's arm and broke it within seconds before kicking the asshole to the ground.

  
        "OW!" He screamed. He held his arm as he whined about the pain he was feeling.

  
        "Tsk tsk~ Did I break your arm~?" Kohaku said in an innocent voice, smirking at the whining male.

  
        " _This is quite entertaining_ ," L thought as he continued to watch Kohaku with Sakae and Light.

  
        "What the fuck?! This girl is crazy!" The blonde hair guy took off running.

  
        "Where the hell do you think you are going?!" Kohaku yelled at the blonde who took off. Like she wouldn't fucking notice. She kicked her shoe off and it landed in her hand. She threw it and it hit the blonde, knocking him out and causing him to face plant into the ground.

  
        Light's jaw dropped a little. "She just knocked the guy out with her shoe...and he was very far away from her." He looked at Sakae. "Remind to never make her angry again."

  
        Sakae laughed a little. "M'kay. I'll try to remember."

  
        The tall guy stared in fear at Kohaku. "What-?!"

  
        Kohaku looked at the tall male. "Now it's your turn!"

  
        "Stay the fuck away from me, you crazy bitch!" The tall guy yelled before trying to run away. Kohaku gripped his arm and flipped him over, making him land on his back on the ground. He groaned in pain.

  
        "Assholes." Kohaku went over to the unconscious blonde and picked up her shoe, putting it back on. She walked back over to L, Light, and Sakae. "I really hate assholes. Especially perverted ones that only think about sexual things. They are lucky that I don't beat the shit out of them."

  
        Light stared at her, awed in a way. "That...was actually really cool."

  
        "Thanks, Kohaku. I can't count how many times you've helped me out," Sakae said.

  
        "That was nothing and you are welcome," Kohaku said.

  
        "That was impressive," L commented, finally saying something.

  
        "T-Thanks!" Kohaku stuttered, blushing a tiny bit. She scratched the back of her head.

  
        "Are we still up for lunch?" Light injected in.

  
        "Hey, let Kohaku have her moment.," Sakae said. "But yeah...I'm getting kind of hungry." That became evident when Sakae's stomach growled.

* * *

        The four are at a coffee shop. Light and Sakae are sitting next to each other normally while L and Kohaku are sitting beside each other in their oddish little ways. A cup of coffee laid in front of L, Sakae, and Light. Kohaku did not wish for one.

  
        "This coffee shop is one of my favorites in the area, and if we sit here there's no chance of anyone overhearing us," Light said.

  
        "Thanks for showing me this place. I can see why you like it," L said.

  
        "Not to mention we're so out-of-the-way here, no one's gonna give you a hard time about the way you two sit," Light said.

  
        "I don't sit like this because I want to, I have to sit like this. You see, if I were to sit normally, my deductive skills would immediately be reduced by roughly 40%," L stated.

  
        "Oh, um, okay then." Light looked at Kohaku. "What's your reason for almost always sitting like that…" He then gestured towards L. "And like that too?"

  
        "I only sit how L does when your little sister wanted me to watch something with her," Kohaku spoke blankly. "I sit curled up like this because it is comfortable to me."

  
        L glanced towards Kohaku. He hadn't known that she sat like he did at times, but he knew of her reason for sitting curled up. They had spoken of it once during the three months they spent together when they were talking about different things and not about Kira.

  
        "Is that why you lay curled up too?" Sakae questioned.

  
        Kohaku nodded. "Mhm. I don't see why you are asking me this now. You could've asked me a few years ago, around the time we met or sometime between then and now."

  
        "It never crossed my mind," Light commented.

  
        "No kidding." Kohaku gave him a small smile.

  
        Sakae took a sip of her coffee. "I guess mainly because we took you for who you are and didn't question it. Still an interesting thought though."

  
        "Mm…" Kohaku looked at the ceiling.

  
        "It's nice to see you two getting along again," Sakae commented, looking back and forth between Light and Kohaku. "Wait, if you love sleeping curled up, how'd you go to sleep all the time in class?"

  
        "Despite the discomfort, I fell asleep because of two reasons: One, I was bored and I really wanted my mind off of the discomfort, and two, I just love to sleep whenever I can, no matter how uncomfortable I am." Kohaku continued staring at the ceiling.

  
        "Interesting," L mumbled. He already knew of this information, but he felt the need to comment.

  
        "No wonder you can stay up for days," Light commented. "You are almost always sleeping."

  
        "She isn't sleeping almost always," Sakae defended her. "Maybe every other day she sleeps quite a lot but not almost all the time."

  
        "And about me and Light getting along, it's probably just temporary. I'm sure something will happen and I'll be trying to break Light's neck," Kohaku stated. Her friendship with Light wasn't going to go back to how it once was with all that's going on with him being Kira.

  
        "Let's hope that doesn't happen then…" Sakae commented nervously, remembering the time when Kohaku threw the chair at him.

  
        "I'm sure nothing will happen," Light said then sipped some of his coffee.

  
        There was an awkward silence.

  
        "So, what was it you wanted to ask me?" L asked Light.

  
        "Right. I'm sure that can wait until you're convinced that I'm not Kira. So please, let's talk about whatever you want to," Light said.

  
        "You're under no obligation to do this, but would you mind submitting yourself to a test of your deductive reasoning skills?" L asked him.

  
        "Sure. Why not? Sounds like fun," Light stated.

  
        " _It sounds unfun in my opinion_ ," Kohaku commented in her head. " _Actually, it sounds like a trap...for Kira_."

  
        "All right. Then, we can begin by taking a look at these." L pulled out three photos. "Photographs of three notes written by prison inmates while under Kira's control just prior to their deaths. None of this information has been made public. You can take as long as you want to look them over. Please let me know what you think."

  
        Light picked them up. "Very interesting." He stared at them.

  
        " _...Light made prison inmates write notes? I don't recall him doing that. Must've been when I wasn't around_ ," Kohaku thought. " _Or did I just forget? I've been forgetting a lot of things lately_."

  
        " _Come on, this is child's play. There's a print number on the back of each these photographs. If I ignored this fact and was still able to come up the phrase, 'L, do you know gods of death love apples', what would that mean? Clearly if I read it the way Kira intended on my first attempt, I'd only look more suspicious. But the fact that I'm able to solve this silly code isn't enough on its own to prove that I am Kira_ ," Light thought. "It would be quite amazing to learn that not only could Kira kill others but could also control his victims' actions. I think Kira wrote these and it seems he's encoded a message for you as well, almost as if he's mocking you." Light placed the photos down and arranged them. "If you align these notes up side by side and take a look at the first letter of every line, it reveals a message. Rearranging it like this gives you: 'L, do you know, Gods of Death love apples.' But there are obvious print numbers on the back of all these photographs." He rearranged the photos. "Arrange it in that order, we get 'L, do you know, love apples Gods of Death.' Haha, doesn't sound right, and based on that, it's hard to believe that Kira would have wanted you to read it this way."

  
        "That's incorrect," L said.

  
        "Huh?" Light stared at him confused.

  
        "I'm gonna guess that there is another photo that he didn't show you," Kohaku commented to Light.

  
        L nodded. "There were actually four photographs." He placed the fourth photo down. "When we add this one, it reads, 'L, do you know Gods of Death who love apples have red hands'."

  
        " _It's a fake! I never made any criminal write the letter in this fourth picture. Is he stupid?_ " Light thought. "But seeing as I only have three photographs to work with, my deduction was perfect."

  
        " _This isn't going to end well…_ " Sakae thought, staring at the photographs. "Hmm..."

  
        "The truth is, there were four of them. If you'd figured that out, it would have been perfect. Even though you knew the message was incomplete, you decided that there were only three notes. You never even considered that there might be a fourth. What do you make of that?" L stared at Light.

  
        Light stared back at him. " _Damn him! This wasn't just about gauging my deductive reasoning skills. He wanted to see what my reaction would be. If I keep falling for his tricks, I'll be playing right into his hands_." He sighed. "Well, you got me there. I didn't think of that. In any case, the likelihood this message will lead you to Kira is not very great. Besides, we all know Gods of Death don't exist."

  
        "Just because it is unlikely that something like that could exist doesn't mean that they don't exist," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Such as everything is possible. Anything can happen, and anything could exist," Sakae stated.

  
        "Hush, you two," Light said. Kohaku rolled her eyes and Sakae grew quiet.

  
        L asked Light another question. "If you were me, faced with someone who might be Kira, how would you go about establishing this person's innocence or guilt if you need to be absolutely sure?"

  
        "I would probably try to get him to say something that was never made public in any way, something that only Kira could know. Kind of like what you are doing just now," Light said.

  
        "Truly amazing. What's incredible is that I've asked countless detectives that same question and it took most of them minutes to even come up with an answer. But you… you immediately thought of a scenario in which Kira is speaking directly to the investigator. I'm impressed. You'll make a fine detective, Light," L said.

  
        "Haha, but it's a bit of a double edged sword. The more impressive my answer is, the more of a suspect I'll become." Light sipped his coffee.

  
        "Yes. It's about 3% now. However, it's made me that much more determined to work with you on this investigation. You see, I'm in a position where, even if you are Kira, it would still be to my benefit to have you working alongside us. Do you know why I'd say that?" L asked.

  
        "If I cooperate with you, there's a chance I can help the investigation to move forward, and if I'm Kira, I might reveal myself. In other words, whether I'm Kira or not, you stand to gain, either way. It's a very smart move on your part, but I think you might be getting the wrong idea. It's true that I do have an interest in the Kira case, and yes, detective work is a hobby of mine, but I know that I'm not Kira, and I certainly don't want to be killed by him. Besides, what proof you have been able to give me that you yourself aren't Kira? I mean, it hardly seems fair for just one of us to be investigated, wouldn't you say? At this point, neither of us can prove that we're not Kira. However, if you are in fact L, I don't imagine it would be that hard for you to prove it to me. I think I'd be convinced if, say, my father or someone else from the task force headquarters was able to confirm your identity. If you can't do that, then I'm afraid I just won't be able to help you," Light said. He completely forgot about the girls for a moment.

  
        " _You sure talk a lot, don't you, Light? Typical for someone who hates losing. Makes it up to 7%, but could he be really him_?" L thought.

  
        "Light." Kohaku looked at him. "You talk way too much sometimes." It was like she had read L's mind somewhat.

  
        Light stared at her for a moment and then looked at L. "Do you suspect Sakae or Kohaku of being Kira?"

  
        "No, because they don't have the qualities I would suspect in Kira. There had been a slight chance that they could've been Kira, but I believe that they aren't him," L replied.

  
        "Could they be hiding it?" Light asked.

  
        "Geh, thanks Light," Sakae said sarcastically.

  
        "You are a jackass, Light," Kohaku said. " _Trying to toss the suspicion of Kira towards your BEST friends. Asshole._ "

  
        "I'm just trying to get all the facts here. I do agree that neither of you would ever be able to be Kira," Light said, hoping to undo what he just did. Sakae gives him a sarcastic smile before sipping on her coffee.

  
        "What about killing someone? Do you think that Sakae or myself could ever kill someone?" Kohaku asked Light. "As in us being just regular murderers and not Kira? You think we could be like that?"

  
        "What? Hell no! I'd never see the two of you being like that," Light yelled slightly.

  
        Sakae sighed as she put her cup down. "Light, it may be a good idea if you remain quiet for now."

  
        "Sakae could never be a murderer. That much I can agree on." Kohaku stared at the table.

  
        "And Kohaku would only kill in self defense, but even that is unlikely," Sakae added on.

  
        " _I wouldn't be so sure... I can't control my anger. I can end up killing Light outta being pissed off, like I sorta am now, and kill him, ending up regretting it a lot later..."_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "Okay, okay. I'm sorry for what I said," Light said.

  
        "Sorry that you had to witness the asshole-ness of Light," Kohaku said to L.

  
        "It's quite alright." L looked at Light. "I don't remember saying you couldn't meet anyone from the task force headquarters to verify my identity," L said.

  
        "Huh?" Light wondered.

  
        "I'm currently working alongside your father, as well as several other senior detectives from the NPA, Kohaku, and...Sakae. Now if I understand you correctly and I take you to task force headquarters, you'll help us with the investigation. Am I safe in making this assumption?"

  
        " _Does this guy have a death wish? I don't understand. What is he thinking? So Sakae and Kohaku are a part of the investigation? It kinda pisses me off that they wouldn't tell me that. Maybe he is lying to make me pissed,_ " Light thought.

  
        L's phones started to ring.

  
        "Excuse me." L dug his phone out of his pants pocket.

  
        Light's phone vibrated. "Ah, there goes mine."

  
        The boys answered their phones at the same time. Both of their eyes seemed to widen.

  
        "What's wrong?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "Light, it's your…" L didn't finish.

  
        Light's eyes were still wide. "My father...He had a heart attack!"

  
        "What?!" the girls exclaimed.

* * *

        The four were at the hospital. They were inside Mr. Yagami's hospital room. L, Light, and Sakae were sitting in chairs and Kohaku was standing. Mrs. Yagami had just left. Mr. Yagami laid on the hospital bed in the room.

  
        "We did our best to get here as fast as we could," Sakae said, half-smiling.

  
        "That's nice of you," Mr. Yagami said, grinning lightly. He looked over at Kohaku; she looked depressed and very uncomfortable. "Kohaku, are you alright?"

  
        Kohaku nodded. "Yes..." She glanced at him. "I...am glad that you are okay..."

  
        Mr. Yagami nodded. He knew why she was acting this way. She has been in this hospital a lot due to fights she tended to get into for the past few years. She didn't like stepping foot into a hospital if she could help it. The girls were silent and allowed the men to speak.

  
        "So the doctors think stress was the only cause?" Light asked Mr. Yagami.

  
        "Yeah. To be honest I thought it was Kira when I first collapsed, but I'll be alright. It seems I've been pushing myself a bit too hard lately," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Indeed, it must have added to your stress knowing that Light is a suspect in this investigation," L said.

  
        "You actually told my father that?" Light asked.

  
        "Yes. In fact I've told him everything. It's true he even knows that I am L," L said.

  
        "Hm." Light looked towards his father.

  
        "That's correct. This man is L. To protect his identity, we on the task force refer to him as Ryuzaki, but make no mistake. It's him," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        " _This guy is the real L. My father wouldn't lie. The very same man who's been controlling the police up to this point. If I get rid of him and the rest of the investigative team...minus Dad, Kohaku, and Sakae... No, no, let's face it. It wouldn't be that simple. There's no need to rush. I have time to sit back and watch. But for now, I'm the Light Yagami, who is worried for his father_ ," Light thought.

  
        "So, Ryuzaki, now that you had a chance to talk to my son, is he cleared as a suspect?" Mr. Yagami asked him.

  
        "When I say I suspect him, you should know it's very minor. We've gone over this, but I'll explain it again. Not long ago, Kira killed 12 FBI agents who'd come to Japan to assist us. They were instructed to follow people connected to the Japanese police. One of these agents, Raye Penber, exhibited unusual behavior before he died," L said.

  
        "I understand. And I was one of the people Raye Penber was investigating before he died. It only makes sense I'd be a suspect. No. To be more precise, there's no one else you could suspect," Light said.

  
        "I find Light's deductive powers quite impressive. He's always quick and to the point," L said.

  
        Light looked at L. "Ryuga, I'd like to help with the investigation. My father has erased any doubts I might've had regarding your true identity. Also I'd like nothing more than to catch Kira, so I can prove once and for all that I'm not him."

  
        "No, Light. This is the time in your life when you should be studying to become a police officer. It won't be too late to join us once you're done," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "C'mon, Dad, what are you talking about? Who knows how many years that'll take? Besides, don't you remember my promise... that if something ever happened to you, I would find Kira and make sure he gets executed," Light said.

  
        " _I refuse to believe that my son could turn out to be Kira,_ " Mr. Yagami thought.

  
        " _This doesn't seem like an act to me. Or if it is, it's too cheesy_ ," L thought.

  
        "Light, listen to me. Kira is pure evil. We can all agree on that. But recently I've started thinking of this whole situation in a different way. What is truly evil is the power to kill people. And any person who has come to possess this kind of power is cursed. No matter how you use it, no true happiness can be obtained like that, not by killing other people," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I think you're absolutely right. If Kira is just a normal person who somehow obtained this awful power, I would say that he is cursed," L said.

  
        "Ryuzaki, I'm sorry for all this trouble, but I'll be back at work as soon as the doctor's let me out of here," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        A nurse walked into the room. "Excuse me. Visiting hours were over ten minutes ago."

* * *

        L, Light, Kohaku, and Sakae were now outside the hospital. A black car awaits in front of the hospital. Watari is in the driver's seat.

  
        "This...has definitely been a day," Sakae commented.

  
        "Yeah," Light agreed.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku wasn't in the mood for talking still.

  
        "You okay, Kohaku?" Sakae asked.

  
        Kohaku spoke quietly. "It's called being depressed." She glanced back towards hospital. "This place is depressing. I hate coming anywhere near here... Hospitals are full of death, pain, and misery..."

  
        "Yeah." Sakae looked down at the ground. "I know how you feel."

  
        "Ryuga, what would it take to get you to believe that I'm not Kira? Please, isn't there something?" Light asked.

  
        "If you aren't Kira, it won't be necessary. Let things run their course, and the truth will be revealed," L said.

  
        "I can't take this any more. Put yourself in my position. How do you think it feels to be accused of being Kira," Light said.

  
        L thought about it. "It was one of the worst feelings ever."

  
        "What if you were to lock me up for a month in a place with no TV or any other kind of access to the outside world and keep a constant watch over me?" Light suggested.

  
        "You are crazy," Kohaku mumbled.

  
        "Would any normal person be willing to go to such extreme measures to clear their name?" L thought. "That's no good. I can't do anything that would deprive you of basic human rights. And furthermore, it's complete nonsense for the investigator to take suggestions from his suspect."

  
        "I understand," Light said.

  
        "Don't worry so much. Be patient. It'll become apparent to us if you're not Kira. And listening to that conversation between you and your father, I was almost convinced you might not be him. Light, please take good care of Mr. Yagami," L said.

  
        "Ah, one more thing. I know I agreed to help with the investigation, but I don't think I'll be able to do much until my father is healthy again," Light said.

  
        "Yes, of course. Well, then." L looked towards Kohaku. Sakae and Light noticed and looked towards her too. She looked anxious; she really wanted to leave that area. "Kohaku, would you like a ride home?" Kohaku nodded slowly.

  
        Sakae gives Kohaku a small hug. "If you need anything, let me know. And be safe, okay?" Kohaku nodded again.

  
        L and Kohaku get into the car that Watari is waiting in. Watari drove off. Soon enough, Sakae's brother picked her up and drove her home. Light decided he'd just walk home.

* * *

        In the car, while they are on the road, L looked over at Kohaku. "Are you okay?" He asked.

  
        "...Yeah." She looked at him for a moment and half smiled. "I'm okay."

  
        "Earlier, when you said you didn't like hospitals, is there a particular reason for it?" L asked.

  
        "I had also mentioned that hospitals are full of death, pain, and misery. That is my reason." She looked away from him.

  
        "I meant did something ever happen at a hospital to make you feel that way?" He corrected.

  
        She shook her head. "No." She just had spent a lot of time in a hospital due to fights and witnessed a few patients dying. Other than that, there was no other reason for her to hate hospitals.

  
        "I see." L looked out the window then back at Kohaku. "Looks like we're almost to your house."

  
        "Mmm… L, do you have any fears?" She looked at him.

  
        "I fear almost nothing...except for running out of cake," L replied.

  
        Kohaku laughed. "Well, that makes sense. You really love cake...and many sweets of all kinds."

  
        "Do you fear anything?" L asked.

  
        Kohaku sighed. "I fear… I fear losing a loved one...like my parents...or Light...or Sakae… I'm not afraid to die myself though. I wouldn't mind dying in the place of someone I love. I'd sacrifice myself in a heartbeat for a loved one."

  
        "I can see that has a rational fear," L commented. He quickly looked out the window as the car came to a stop. "Looks like we are here at your house now."

  
        "It appears so." She kissed his cheek. "Thanks for offering me a ride. You are really sweet. See you tomorrow." She looked at the front of the car. "See ya tomorrow, Watari!" She got out of the car and ran up to her porch. She headed into her home.

  
        "See ya later," L said as the car drove off.

  
        "Ryuzaki, do you have feelings for Ms. Kohaku?" Watari asked him as he drove to the hotel.

  
        "...I'm still not completely sure," L answered honestly.

  
        "I see." Watari continued to drive. The rest of the ride was completely silent.


	12. Tapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku works with Mr. Yagami to stop more tapes from being aired.

        Four days went by. It was getting dark. Kohaku just walked into her home after L and Watari dropped her off. It had been a okay day. Kohaku had went to visit Mr. Yagami in the hospital again, despite the fact that hospitals make her extremely depressed. L had even gone to see him, after getting a call from Kohaku that she wasn't going over to the hotel that day, to check on Mr. Yagami and to talk to Kohaku, even though she didn't talk very much. The perfect way for Kohaku to end the day was to go to her room and watch TV.

  
        Kohaku decided to see what her parents were doing before she went to her room. Like she expected, they were in the kitchen/dining room. They were eating dinner. They looked over at her when she entered.

  
        "Hey sweetheart," Yue greeted her, smiling.

  
        "Did you have a great day?" Kyo asked.

  
        "Today was…crazy. My friend dropped me off; we were visiting Mr. Yagami. He had a heart attack about four days ago," Kohaku said.

  
        "A heart attack?! Four days ago?! Why didn't you tell us? Is he alright?" Yue asked in concern. "I know he is like a second father to you; you told us so yourself last month. He'll be fine, right?"

  
        "Yes." Kohaku looked over at her dad.

  
        "That's good to hear," Kyo said. He lifted his fork, ready to eat some more noodles. "Your friend must be really nice to drop you off."

  
        "Yeah. It was really sweet of him to offer me a ride." Kohaku was a bit surprised by what happened next.

  
        Her father dropped his fork and looked at her with wide eyes. "This friend of yours that you talk about so much is a guy?!"

  
        Her mother squealed in excitement. "Our little Kohaku had finally found a man! Is he handsome!? When can we meet him?!"

  
        "Uh…" Kohaku answered their questions slowly and hesitantly. "Yeah, Ryuzaki is a guy...Yes, he is handsome, I guess...and I don't know when you can meet him… He is...um...shy." There was no way her parents could ever meet L. He was too busy with the Kira case and more than likely, he'll leave Japan after the case was solved, if it ever is.

  
        "So is he your boyfriend?" her mother asked. Yue was super excited still.

  
        "Yeah. Is he?" Kyo questioned. He was hoping for a 'no' and he got it.

  
        "No! Of course not! We're only friends! Really good, sorta close friends," Kohaku stated. "I'm gonna watch TV in my room for a while and then I am going to bed."

  
        Her mother pouted. "Aww, I was hoping you had a boyfriend." Her eyes lit up a second later and she was smiling again. "Maybe you two will date in the future!"

  
        "Yue, you are acting like a teenager," Kyo stated.

  
        "So?" she questioned, looking at him. "What's wrong with that?"

  
        "N-Nothing! It's just...uh…" he hesitated.

  
        Kohaku shook her head and laughed at her parents. "Later." She headed to her bedroom. Once there, she locked the door behind her and laid on her bed. She grabbed the remote of her TV and turned it on, watching whatever she thought was interesting.

* * *

        Sakae lay on her bed, looking at her laptop. Frustration was slowly building up as she tried to figure out the problem that stood before her. "Why the freak is this so difficult?" She mumbled to herself. "The limit should be there but with the way the equation stands out, there's no way there could be limit, but…maybe I'm not solving it correctly." She had a sudden moment of realization. "Coming from different sides; that's why!"

  
        A knock on the door startled Sakae, making her throw her pillow up and knocking the laptop onto its side.

  
        "So, Ms. Calculus strikes again I see," Ryuichi teased as he walked into the room.

  
        "Look who's talking Mr. Bunny Apron," Sakae shot back.

  
        "Touché." Ryuichi walked over to Sakae. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Tonight, steaks with corn on the cob and rice," he announced.

  
        "Sounds delicious," Sakae said, picking her laptop up and closing it. Her phone suddenly went off, causing her to jump again.

  
        "Ms. Jumpy then," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Shut up," Sakae told her brother before picking up her phone. "Hello?"

  
        "Sakae?" Someone called from the other line.

  
        "Light, what are you doing calling at this time? I thought you would be home studying," Sakae said, confused by the sudden call from her. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Sakae grabbed her coat and put it on.

  
        "Why do you always go outside to talk on the phone?" Ryuichi asked, irritated slightly.

  
        "The same reason you keep your dairy locked away," Sakae replied.

  
        Ryuichi shook a ladle he was holding at her then walked back into the kitchen. Sakae walked outside and to sit down on the steps, but was surprised to see Light standing under a street lamp, holding the phone to his ear. She walked over to him. "Light? What are you doing here?"

  
        Light saw Sakae walking towards him. "I don't know. I went for a walk and I guess my feet led me here. Am I intruding on something?"

  
        Sakae showed him a bright smile. "No, Ryu and I were just about to have dinner. Would you like to come in and eat with us?"

  
        "Yea," Light said. Sakae and he walked inside. Ryuichi looked a little surprised at the unexpected guest and quickly got rid of the bunny apron he was wearing.

  
        "Well, I wasn't expecting anybody this evening. What brings you here, Light?" Ryuichi asked, trying to act cool.

  
        "Went for a walk, ended up here," Light replied.

  
        "I invited him to dinner. Is that okay, Ryu?' Sakae asked.

  
        "Yea, of course, just gotta…fix another steak…" Ryuichi put his head down, sighing as well. He then went back to the kitchen and began to cook another steak. Sakae laughed a little bit. Her and Light went and sat down at the small table they had. A few minutes later, dinner was served. The mood was light as the three began to talk about many things, from school to work to old memories as a kid.

  
        "You know, Sakae was adorable as a baby. Whenever Mom dressed her, somehow she would ruin them by spitting up. And she was a chubby baby. I would look at her and wonder how Mom could have gave birth to her," Ryuichi stated as he began to take a sip of sake.

  
        "Ryu!" Sakae yelled. The two men at the table laughed as Sakae blushed and looked away. "Don't say stuff like that!"

  
        "What? It's not like he's your boyfriend," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "I know that," Sakae replied and sighed.

  
        "It may be a good time to leave now," Light commented as he got up.

  
        "I'll walk you out," Sakae said.

  
        "Come back anytime, Light. I can tell ya more baby stories of Sakae. Just like how one time she-" Ryuichi was cut off by Sake throwing a pillow at him.

  
        Sakae and Light walked outside. "I'm going to kill him," Sakae said as she clinched her fist.

  
        "He was just trying to be a good brother," Light stated.

  
        "I know but he still didn't have to say that stuff." Sakae blushed a little bit and stared up at the sky. "So…Kohaku has fallen for the infamous L."

  
        "Yea, I can see that," Light replied.

  
        "They've fallen in love with each other. Sooner or later, they'll realize this fact themselves and they'll get together… Light, you want L dead. Would you really want to ruin Kohaku's first, maybe only, chance of love and pure happiness?" Sakae asked.

  
        "I said I can tell. I want Kohaku to be happy, but I can't let that stand in my way. L is a threat that needs to be gotten rid of. I can't help how Kohaku feels about him. What's important is that he never finds out who I really am." Light unconsciously looked over at Sakae. "And let that stand in the way of my happiness," he said, not knowing what he truly meant by it.

  
        Sakae stared down at the ground with a small sigh escaping her. "I know. I wish it didn't have to be this way. Seeing her like that, it makes me so happy. But in a way, I'm kind of jealous. She's found love; one of the first times she even truly liked a guy. I guess… that's something I wish for," she admitted.

  
        "Maybe one day you could, if you try hard enough," Light assured.

  
        "Thanks." Sakae smiled a little bit. "It's not like love is staring me in the face right now, Light; but, I could find it one day." Light nodded in agreement. "Go ahead and get home. I'll see ya at school." She ran up the stairs. "Oh." Leaning over the railing, Sakae smiled down at Light. "You know, you're actually kind of cute when you let yourself wonder. Try that more sometime." Then she ran inside, leaving Light blushing a little bit.

  
        "Hey, bring me some more sake," Ryuichi shouted from another room.

  
        Sakae sighed and complied. "You are such an idiot."

  
        "I know, my little chubby baby Sakae," Ryuichi teased with a small smile.

  
        "Shut up!" Sakae ran to her room, trying to hide her embarrassment. "He's such an idiot." She tried to hide the smile that was slowly appearing across her face. "Well, time to get some homework done," Sakae said as she opening her laptop and began to work.

* * *

        L and Watari were back at the hotel room. Ukita, Aizawa, and Matsuda were there. Mogi was absent from the meeting, along with Mr. Yagami, Sakae, and Kohaku. They were sitting in their usual meeting area.

  
        "Regarding Naomi Misora's disappearance, shouldn't we open an investigation into this matter?" Ukita asked L.

  
        "If we do, it should be coordinated separately from the Kira case. Also we'll have to use police sketches instead of actual photos," L said.

  
        "We're talking about someone who's been missing for four months already. Chances are she's probably dead," Aizawa said.

  
        "If you're right about that, I find it odd that we haven't found her body yet. If we did, it might provide us with some much needed physical evidence," L said.

  
        " _I wonder where Kohaku and Sakae are…_ " Matsuda thought.

  
        Watari walked into the room. "Ryuzaki, something seems to be happening on Sakura TV." The TV was turned on.

  
        "In other words, all of our reporters and staff here are Kira's hostages. Aside from that, we have a professional obligation to share this message with you. I assure you that this is not a hoax, and that Sakura TV is not airing this tape for the purposes of sensationalism," the TV staff said.

  
        "Kira's hostages?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "What is this?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

* * *

        Kohaku stared at her TV intensively. She was looking at Sakura TV.

  
        "Four days ago, our program director here at Sakura TV received four tapes. After a thorough examination, there could be no doubt that they were from Kira himself," the TV staff said.

  
        "What the fuck?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "The first tape we received contained a prediction regarding the time of deaths of two suspected criminals who'd recently been arrested. And as predicted, at the exact time that Kira had specified, both men died suddenly of heart attacks yesterday. Kira has instructed us to air this second tape today at exactly 5:59 p.m., and we do intend to comply with his demands. This tape should offer proof of his powers by predicting yet another death. Beyond that, we understand that it contains a message to all the people of the world from Kira," the TV staff continued.

  
        " _Light wouldn't do something like this… Is there...another Kira?!_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        "And now, the video," the TV staff said. Kohaku looked at the time. It was 5:59 p.m.

  
        The screen changed. The tape playing showed "Kira" written and nothing else. It was similar to what L had done months ago.

  
        "Ahem. I am Kira." 'Kira' had used a voice modificator. "If this video is being aired on April 18th, at exactly 5:59 p.m. as I requested, then the time now is 5:59. 47,48, 49...please change the channel to Taiyo TV. The news anchor Mr. Kazuhiko Habima would die of a heart attack at exactly 6 o'clock."

  
        Kohaku changed the channel quickly. The news anchor was indeed dead.

  
        "There's another Kira…" Kohaku said to herself. "There has to be…" She turned off her TV and headed to her window. " _I have a bad feeling about this… I feel that Mr. Yagami might want to do something about this if he sees this on a TV at the hospital. Man, I hate that fucking place._ " She opened her window and jumped out of it.

* * *

        Watari was getting two more TVs for L and the others.

  
        "This is punishment," the fake Kira said. "I will present you with another victim. My next target is NHN TV commentator Mr. Seiji Koizumi, who's scheduled to appear in a live broadcast. He too has dared to defy Kira."

  
        "Ryuzaki?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Change it to channel 24," L stated. Matsuda changed the channel. Seiji Koizumi was dead. "Please change it back."

  
        "Now that you've seen proof of my powers, you should have no trouble believing that I am Kira," 'Kira' said.

  
        " _Kira said that he was going to send a message to the people of the world_ ," L thought. L gasped a bit. "Stop this broadcast. We can't let him finish."

  
        Matsuda grunted a bit and turned towards Aizawa. "Get Sakura TV on the line!" He ran to grab a phone and try calling.

  
        "It's no good. I'm trying, but none of my contact at the station have their phones on," Aizawa said, a phone to his ear.

  
        "And nobody's picking up a reception, either," Matsuda said.

  
        "Damn it!" Ukita ran to the door.

  
        "Ukita?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "I'll stop this broadcast myself if that's what it takes." Ukita ran out of the room.

  
        The tape on the TV continued with the "fake" Kira speaking. "People of the world, please listen to me. The last thing I want to do is kill the innocent. I hate evil and love justice. I've always thought of the police as allies, not as enemies."

  
        "Damn you, Kira," L said.

  
        "I intend to create a new world. A perfect world that is free from evil. If you agree to join me in my mission, I know we can make it happen. And as long as no one tries to catch me, I promise that the innocent will not die. Even if you don't agree with me, all I ask is that you NOT publicize your views in the media. If you can do that, you will be spared. All you have to do now is be patient. I'll create a better world that we can all enjoy. Say good-bye to the world as you know it. Soon we'll have a new world brought by benevolence and inhabited by kind-hearted, honest people. Try to imagine it," 'Kira' said.

  
        Some time had passed since Ukita left. Matsuda glanced at one of the TVs and gasped a bit. "Aizawa, look!"

  
        "What?" He looked and gasped. On the screen was Ukita. He was laying on the ground in front of the Sakura TV studio. He was dead. "Ukita. Damn it! Kira did this!" He headed to the door.

  
        "Mr. Aizawa, where are you going?" L questioned.

  
        "Where do you think? I've gotta go there," Aizawa said.

  
        "You can't. Please think about this rationally," L said.

  
        "What? You want me to just sit here and watch TV?" Aizawa said, angrily.

  
        "If this truly is the work of Kira, you'll just meet the same fate if you go there," L said.

  
        "You told us that Kira couldn't kill without a name. So, how could this happen?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "The aliases and fake police IDs were worthless. What are we gonna do, L? You don't think Kira has all our names already, do you?" Matsuda was a bit panicky.

  
        L started a logical rant. "That's a definite possibility. However, if that's the case, you think it would be easier for him to kill off the entire task force before making a move. Initially I deduced that Kira needed both a name and a face to kill. But from what we've just seen, I'd say it's not entirely impossible that Kira can kill with only a face. All I know for sure is that Kira is either in that TV station or somewhere close by, in a place where he can watch everyone who enters the building. Perhaps he's in the…"

  
        "If Kira is in the area, then, isn't that why we should get down there?" Aizawa asked.

  
        "For all we know, he could have just placed surveillance cameras in the area. If we rushed down there unprepared, all of us would be killed," L said.

  
        Aizawa gripped onto L's shirt. "Wasn't that you who said we'd have to risk our lives to catch Kira?"

  
        "I meant what I said, but risking my life to catch Kira and doing something that I know it would cost me my life are two entirely different things," L stated.

  
        "Oh yeah?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        L was gripping onto his pants tightly. Seeing that he caused a man from the team to die had both upset him and slightly startled him. "Please control yourself. We've lost Ukita. I understand you wanna go there, but if something was to happen to you as well…" He didn't continue his statement.

* * *

        Kohaku was running outside of the hospital. She could feel the depression hitting her like a ton of bricks.

  
        " _Damn this place…_ " she thought as she ran towards where the ambulances were. She was going to enter the hospital from the back. She headed for the door when she spotted Mr. Yagami weakly heading to one of the ambulances. He was wearing one of his usual formal attires. "Mr. Yagami!" She ran over to him. "What the hell are you doing?!"

  
        "What does it look like?! I need to get there...before they air...anymore of it." Mr. Yagami struggled to say as he got closer to the ambulances.

  
        Kohaku's anger was gone, replaced completely with the depression that was hitting her, but that didn't change the situation and what she was thinking. "You should be resting...Fuck it. Like hell I am going to let you stop the broadcast alone." She grabbed onto his arm and did her best to help him move towards the nearest ambulance. "This is crazy..."

  
        "You're...you're coming with me?" Mr. Yagami stared at her, confused but then nodded. "It will be crazy but it needs happen. We can't let Kira get his way."

  
        Kohaku nodded shortly. She helped him into the ambulance driver's seat and she climbed into the passenger's seat. "Let's...leave this place please...and stop Kira..."

  
        Mr. Yagami turned on the ambulance and drive onto the street to and towards the broadcast station. "We're going have to be quick about this."

  
        Kohaku was getting back to her normal self. "I hate hospitals. Anyways...but how the hell are we gonna get in? If we get out of the ambulance, Kira could kill us. Unless...we crash into the station."

  
        "That's exactly what we are going to do," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "That's gonna be fun," Kohaku said in a sarcastic tone. "I hope you don't run over anyone when you do that."

  
        "Most people should be away where the crash will happen. At least...that's what I hope," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I'm hoping so too." Kohaku looked up ahead. "We're almost there...I think."

  
        "Almost." Mr. Yagami looked over at Kohaku. "Ready?"

  
        Kohaku nodded. "Yeah."

  
        "Let's do this then," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        The ambulance crashed into the Sakura TV studio. The passenger's window of the ambulance shattered and some of the glass cut Kohaku's hand.

  
        Kohaku hissed in pain. "Shit!"

  
        "Kohaku, are you alright?" Mr. Yagami asked a bit frantically.

  
        She nodded. "Yeah. Just… my hand got a little, um, sliced up from the glass. It's not that bad." She tore off part of the bottom of her tanktop and wrapped it around her hand. "Don't have time to use actual bandages that might be in this thing. We are in a rush." She got out of the ambulance, followed by Mr. Yagami.

  
        "What the hell's going on?!" a guard said.

  
        "The Kira video. Show me which studio they're broadcasting it from," Mr. Yagami demanded.

* * *

        Mr. Yagami and Kohaku ran into the studio that was broadcasting the Kira videos.

  
        "This is the police. Stop this broadcast immediately!" Mr. Yagami demanded.

  
        "Who are you?" Demegawa, director of Sakura TV, asked.

  
        "Are you deaf? He just fucking told ya!" Kohaku yelled.

  
        "Hand all tapes over to me. Do you understand?!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed.

  
        "Hold on, officer. It's not that simple!" Demegawa exclaimed. "My hands are tied here. If we stop this broadcast, he'll kill all of us."

  
        "Shut up!" Mr. Yagami pulled out a gun.

  
        "Damn. Go Mr. Yagami," Kohaku cheered quietly. No one heard her.

  
        Mr. Yagami pointed the gun at Demegawa. "You're going to be killed right here and now, if you don't give those tapes to me."

  
        "What? C'mon. What the hell do you think you're doing? This is crazy!" Demegawa exclaimed.

  
        "This is happening because you chose to make Kira a celebrity. You're getting exactly what you deserve!" Mr. Yagami yelled. Kohaku nodded in agreement. "I want every single copy you have, and don't make me ask you again."

  
        "I-I got it. I'll give 'em to you." Demegawa started getting the tapes. "No problem. Just please stop wielding the gun around. You're acting like a mad man!"

  
        "You rather me have the gun, you whiny jackass?!" Kohaku questioned Demegawa. "I'll gladly shoot you in the ass just for fun!"

  
        Demegawa gulped and handed the tapes, which were in a bag, shakingly to Mr. Yagami, eyeing Kohaku in fear. Kohaku and Mr. Yagami moved out of the studio. Mr. Yagami hit the button on his belt. Not too long later, his phone rang and he answered it.

  
        "I need to speak with Ryuzaki," he said.

  
        "Yes, it's me. Mr. Yagami, so you are the one who drove into the building," L said.

  
        "That's right. I couldn't just sit and watch. I've confiscated all of the tapes. I'm bringing them to you," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "But what about your condition? Are you alright?" L asked him.

  
        Mr. Yagami answered truthfully. "I'm feeling just fine. To be honest with you, I don't think I've ever felt more alive." He looked over at Kohaku who was staring at her wounded hand. "Kohaku is with me."

  
        L's eyes widen slightly on the other line. "Is she alright?"

  
        "She got injured when we drove into this building," Mr. Yagami said. "The glass cut her hand a bit and from what I can tell, it's still bleeding a little. Other than that, she's completely fine."

  
        " _She's hurt… At least she is alive_ ," L thought.

  
        "So what do you think we should do now? I'd say going up the front would be too dangerous, but I could always use the ambulance again," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Please hold the line for a second," L said. A moment later, he was back talking to Mr. Yagami. "Mr. Yagami, listen carefully. In exactly 5 minutes, I want you two to come out the front entrance."

  
        "You want us to exit through the front entrance?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Don't question him. There must be a very good reason why he wants us to. He'd never put us in any danger on purpose," Kohaku said.

  
        Mr. Yagami looked at her and nodded.

* * *

        Mr. Yagami, still carrying the bag of tapes, and Kohaku headed to the front entrance and found a lot of police men, with their faces covered, were standing around. They were hiding the two's faces from Kira.

  
        "Make sure there are no gaps! Do not reveal your faces! We know that Kira is not in the building. He is outside," a man said.

  
        Mr. Yagami and Kohaku headed to a car that was ahead of them.

  
        "Thank you. I'll drive myself," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I understand," Ide, a member of the taskforce, said.

  
        Mr. Yagami and Kohaku got into the car. Mr. Yagami drove off.

  
        "How's your hand?" Mr. Yagami asked Kohaku.

  
        "It's not bleeding anymore but it hurts like hell." She removed the wrapping she made from her shirt. "The cut isn't too deep but it's a lil' deep. Not deep enough for stitches, but deep enough that it'll be healed in about a week, maybe. I'll have to keep something over it."

  
        "It will still be a good idea to disinfect it to make sure it doesn't get a infection," Mr. Yagami said to Kohaku as he looked at her hand.

  
        "I shall do that when we get to the hotel." Kohaku covered up her hand.

  
        "Does it hurt any?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "It hurts like hell. I believe I said that already and sorry if that sounded like a smartass-kind-of-comment," Kohaku said.

  
        "It's alright," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "We're almost there," Kohaku said.

  
        The two arrived at the hotel. Kohaku helped Mr. Yagami to the floor L was on and Watari meet them outside of the room. The three went into L's hotel room. They headed into the room everyone was in.

  
        "Chief Yagami!" Matsuda exclaimed. "Kohaku!"

  
        "Welcome back, Chief," Aizawa said. "...and Kohaku."

  
        "Nice to see you too, Aizawa," Kohaku said, sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.

  
        L got out of his seat and he, Aizawa, and Matsuda walked over to Mr. Yagami and Watari.

  
        "Hmmm. Ryuzaki, I apologize for taking matters into my own hands. I have to admit I got a little bit carried away." He held up a bag. "Here. These are all of the tapes and an envelope. Everything Kira sent to the station is in here."

  
        "I can't thank you enough." L looked towards Kohaku.

  
        "I'm fine," she stated.

  
        "She was definitely a big help," Mr. Yagami stated with a smile.  
  


        "Good job then." L nodded to the two of them.

  
        Mr. Yagami looked at Kohaku. "Kohaku, now would be a good time for you to disinfect your wound and get a proper bandage placed over it."

  
        "Oh! Right." She looked at her hand.

  
        "Watari will gladly help you locate the items you need," L stated.

  
        Kohaku nodded and, after Watari helped Mr. Yagami sit on the couch and handing L the bag of tapes, she and Watari went to another part of hotel room to gather the items.

  
        " _Mr. Yagami, Kohaku. This won't go to waste_." L pulled out an envelope. " _A postmark from Osaka, but Kira can control his victims before they die, so he could have delivered it from Osaka without going there himself._ " L looked towards Aizawa. "Mr. Aizawa, can you please take this to the crime lab right away?" He handed the bag to Aizawa.

  
        "I still have a couple of friends down there. I'll make sure they go over every inch of this," Aizawa stated.

  
        "That's good. Please do so," L said. "While you're doing that, I'm going to watch these tapes to see if they can tell us anything."

* * *

        Sakae walks along the street with her duffle bag hanging on her shoulder. The air is cool around her. "Gosh." Sakae pulls her arms towards her body has a jacket crinkles at the sudden movement. "What the heck is Ryuichi doing tonight that he couldn't pick her up?" A slight pout appeared on her face as she thought back to when her brother said something about a lady friend. A sigh escaped from Sakae as she continued to walk.

  
        "Sakae!"

  
        Sakae stopped for a second and turned around to see Sayu standing on the sidewalk in front of the Yagami household. She looked confused at the young girl then realized where she was walking. The route she took went by their house. With a swift jog, Sakae crossed the street over to Sayu. "Hey, Sayu; what are you doing out here?"

  
        "I saw you walking by; so, I came out and was wondering if you wanted to come in," Sayu asked

  
        "I guess for a minute. I need to get home to get some homework done," Sakae said as she and Sayu walked into the house. Mrs. Yagami was preparing dinner and smiled at Sakae when she walked in. The two girls went and sat down on the couch in the living room. "Any particular reason you wanted to me to come here?"

  
        "Mostly to say hi and ask you some questions," Sayu stated.

  
        "Okay, ask away," Sakae said.

  
        "Do…do you know why Kohaku doesn't visit anymore?" Sayu asked, turning the air tense a little.

  
        Sakae stared down at her hands. "I…I think it's because her and Light are no longer…friends. They got into an argument that isn't really easy to come back from. Not only that, Kohaku has found someone she really likes; no need for old friends anymore." Sakae tried to smile but really couldn't. She was happy for Kohaku but really missed the company of a friend.

  
        "Oh," Sayu said as she looked at the television screen. An awkward silence fell upon the two. "Then for my last question." Sayu said suddenly.

  
        Sakae looked up at Sayu. "Okay, shoot."

  
        "Do you like my brother?" Sayu asked.

  
        "What? Do I like him? That's an odd question," Sakae commented.

  
        "You two have just been spending a lot of time together. I just thought…that maybe you liked him. Because he may not know but he probably likes you," Sayu said.

  
        Sakae looked back at her hands, a small blush forming on her cheeks. "Well, Sayu, your brother and I are good friends. But…I don't know."

  
        "Okay. I was just asking." Sayu turned back to the television.

  
        Mrs. Yagami walked into the living room. "Hello, Sakae. Are you going to be eating dinner with us?"

  
        "Um?" Sakae looked at her watch. "Oh, I gotta get home actually but thank you for the offer." She got up and walked over to the door. "Thanks for having me." Then she walked out. As she walked down the street home, she thought of the conversation her and Sayu just had. Could she possibly like Light? A blush formed on her as she began to think about it. Maybe there was a possibility but for now, her biggest worries was making sure nothing worse happened then things already were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How the fuck did Mr. Yagami have a gun when he just got out of the hospital? I don't know. Ask the show's episode. It's anime logic. Guns appear out of nowhere sometimes in anime.


	13. Second Kira

        It's the next day. It was morning. L and the taskforce (Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, and Matsuda; Mogi is not present) were up all night looking at the tapes. Kohaku was napping.

  
        "Well, what do you make of these?" Mr. Yagami asked L.

  
        "They were definitely interesting. If the police had said 'yes' and agreed to cooperate with Kira, tape No.3 was supposed to be aired. Tape 4, if the answer was 'no'. Tape 3 covers the terms of cooperation. Put simply, he's requesting that we broadcast the names of more criminals. He seems particularly interested in those who have assaulted others, or those who have somehow hurt or taken advantage of the weak and defenseless. Of course, Kira would play the role of a judge on all of this. Furthermore, as proof that the police are willing to cooperate, he wants police officials and L to appear on TV to make a public announcement that we plan to cooperate with him," L said. "He needs us to reveal our faces. That way, he can kill us if the police do anything suspicious. In other words, he'll hold our lives as insurance."

  
        "I see. So what about the content of the fourth video if we were to answer 'no'," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "The wording is different, but he more or less says the same thing. Mr. Yagami, it should go without saying that the answer is 'no'. Please have someone take tape No.4 over to Sakura TV and authorize them to broadcast it," L said.

  
        Aizawa took the tape and headed out. L looked away from the static of the TV to look at Kohaku. She was still napping on the couch to his right. She was curled up and her hair was covering half of her face.

  
        Mr. Yagami looked between L and Kohaku for moment. " _Is it me or is Ryuzaki staring at Kohaku most of the time?_ " He thought to himself. "Ryuzaki, might I have word for a second?"

  
        L looked over at Mr. Yagami. "Yes?"

  
        "Have you realized that you tend to look at Kohaku a lot lately?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "No, not really. Why do you ask?" L replied and asked.

  
        "Just asking. If you do like her, just know, that if you do anything to her, you'll answer to me," Mr. Yagami warned.

  
        "Yes sir?" L answered, confused. This was definitely to first time he was scolded for staring at a female. He looked back at the staticy TV and started to space out a bit. " _I wonder what he meant…_ "

  
        "I noticed it too, sir," Matsuda whispered to Mr. Yagami. "Do you think that he could…?"

  
        "I wouldn't know," Mr. Yagami answered lowly. "He hides his emotions. It's hard to tell what he feels towards Kohaku…"

  
        Sakae entered L's hotel room. She had went to Kohaku's home beforehand, but had noticed that Kohaku's window was wide open before she went to knock on the door, and came to the conclusion that Kohaku was with L. She walked into the area everyone was at and spotted Kohaku napping. She also noted that Kohaku's hand is bandaged up and she became a bit concerned as to how Kohaku got a wound.

  
        Mr. Yagami looked at her. "We drove into the Sakura TV studio and some of the glass from the ambulance we took shattered, cutting her hand," he explained, answering Sakae's unasked question. "We were stopping a broadcast of Kira videos."

  
        "Hmm, I see," Sakae commented then walked over to the couch where Kohaku laid.

  
        "It may be best to let her sleep." Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "Yeah," Matsuda agreed.

  
        Sakae swiftly lifted a pillow over her head. "Not when I'm around." Then she brought the pillow down onto Kohaku's stomach. Matsuda and Mr. Yagami watched to see what would happen. L was too busy thinking to even notice that Sakae was there.

  
        Kohaku jerked slightly and opened her eyes a bit. She looked at Sakae and sighed. "Hmph. I should've guessed that you did that."

  
        "What? Not happy to see me?" Sakae pouted slightly as she jumped onto the couch. "I just wanted to wake you up."

  
        "You always feel the need to wake me up whenever you can." Kohaku sat up.

  
        "Hey, you sleep whenever you can. Just tryin to help." Sakae smiled a little.

  
        Kohaku poked Sakae's cheek. "Pfft, whatever you say, Sakae."

  
        "Hey, hey. No poking my cheek. My cheek," Sakae said as she poked Kohaku.

  
        "Wha-? So you can poke me, but I can't poke you?" Kohaku pouted. "How the fuck does that make any damn sense?"

  
        "Because I'm the poker, not the pokee," Sakae stated.

  
        Kohaku continued to pout. "No fair."

  
        "How is that not fair?" Sakae tilted her head, pretending to be confused.

  
        "Because you won't let me poke you back. Meanie." Kohaku glared playfully at Sakae.

  
        "That seems plenty fair in my eyes. It works out for both of us." Sakae smiled slightly.

  
        "Now you are just confusing the hell outta me." Kohaku started pouting again.

  
        "Well...maybe it works out for me mostly; but hey, we both get to have fun," Sakae stated.

  
        Kohaku scoffed. "Pfft..."

  
        "It's weird seeing Kohaku acting... childish," Matsuda commented lowly to Mr. Yagami; Aizawa wasn't back yet. "She is cheerful sometimes and other times, she just stares at things blankly..." L was listening in; he could hear them this time since Matsuda's low voice wasn't as low as it had been earlier.

  
        "It's how she is," Mr. Yagami stated. "When she is in a really good mood, she'll be a bit cheerful. When she is bored or upset, she just either remains quiet or speaks in a tone that you'd heard from a depressed individual. I am use to this behavior. However, I am not use to her smiling a lot; she rarely smiled fully and only just smirked or half smiled."

  
        "I see," Matsuda commented. "Maybe it's… a part of growing up?"

  
        Mr. Yagami shrugged. Matsuda and him continued to watch Sakae and Kohaku. L glanced towards the girl's location on the couch.

  
        Sakae was still poking Kohaku. Kohaku was pouting still. "Stop poking me."

  
        "I could do something much worse," Sakae teased.

  
        "Don't stop poking me," Kohaku said, giving up.

  
        Sakae laughed a little bit. "I'm just messin'."

  
        "Whatever." Kohaku stuck her tongue out at Sakae.

  
        "Careful now," Sakae commented.

  
        Kohaku patted her head. "Find a boyfriend yet?"

  
        "No, not yet. I'm not exactly looking for one right now. Why ask?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Just trying to have a random conversation." Kohaku smiled innocently. "Well, whenever you do get a boyfriend, you better tell me."

  
        Sakae stared at Kohaku for a moment. "Huh? Why?"

  
        Kohaku shrugged and continued to smile. "Does it really matter? I just want to be the first to know when you get one... Maybe second if your brother finds out first. What's it like having a sibling anyways? Is it fun?"

  
        "Having a brother who's 6 years older than you? It can be fun at times. When we were younger, it was hella fun. We'd play pranks on each other all the time. But then...he had to grow up. Other than that, it's fun having a sibling." Sakae smiled softly, with a bit of sadness hidden behind it.

  
        "Hey." Kohaku poked her cheek. "You can always guilt him into doing something for you. You can always blackmail him into doing something for you. You can always leave a bucket of chocolate over his door and when it opens, it falls on him and completely covers him in it. You can talk about things with him. There are plenty of things you can still do with them, you know."

  
        "That'd stuff be mean to do. I'd get into so much trouble I did them. Besides, Ryu needs to work a lot; so, I need to enjoy my time with him when I can," Sakae replied. "And no poking me!"

  
        Kohaku laughed. "Sorry."

  
        Sakae pouted. "Why you laugh?"

  
        "Because I can~" Kohaku said.

  
        "Because you can? There isn't another reason?" Sakae lightly poked Kohaku's cheek.

  
        "No other reason, whatsoever." Kohaku got off the couch. "I'm gonna get me something to drink." She walked towards the kitchen area and was out of everyone's sight. She made herself a glass of water. She took a tiny sip of it and leaned against the kitchen counter. " _I wasn't completely asleep earlier… I heard Mr. Yagami's small talk with L. L stares at me a lot? I never noticed… Actually, that's a lie. I've noticed, but I thought it was just something he usually does… Maybe he likes… No, no he doesn't like me. He's L. He is a detective who doesn't have time for love_ …" She sighed.

  
        About ten minutes after Kohaku had headed to the kitchen, L decided to get up and head into the kitchen as well to check on her. She was taking a long time just to get something to drink. He was soon out of everyone's sight as well and walked over to Kohaku. She was still leaning against the kitchen counter. She glanced up from her glass of water and stared at him.

  
        "Hm?" she wondered.

  
        "You were taking a long time. I decided to check on you," L explained.

  
        "Oh. I see. Sorry." She looked back at her glass of water. "Was just thinking…"

  
        "About?" L questioned her in wonder.

  
        "The little small talk you and Mr. Yagami had," she revealed.

  
        L blinked in small surprise. "You were awake?"

  
        "I can be both a heavy and light sleeper, depending on if I am super tired or just want a little bit of sleep." Kohaku looked at him. "He thinks you like me."

  
        L gave her a questioning look. "I do. We are friends, aren't we?"

  
        "Not that kind of like." Kohaku smiled a little. "I'm talking about…people with a crush on someone kind of like; he believes that you really like me."

  
        "To be quite frank, I don't really know what it is that I feel towards you just yet," L admitted. "I am still trying to figure that out."

  
        Kohaku blinked and blushed a tiny bit. "I see… That's, um, interesting."

  
        "Interesting? Hmm...I would guess so," L commented.

  
        Kohaku moved and placed her glass of water on the counter. Some of her hair shifted to be over her left eye. " _I wonder how long it'll take for this case to end...and how much time I have left with L..._ " she thought.

  
        "What are you thinking about right now?" L asked.

  
        She looked at him. "It's nothing important."

  
        "It may not be but I would still like to know," L stated.

  
        Kohaku smiled slightly and poked his nose. "Are all detectives nosy?"

  
        "It allows for good deductive skills," He commented.

  
        "Ah. Well, what goes on in my mind shall remain a secret for now," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Then I guess that there is something going on that you don't want me to know about," L stated.

  
        "Hey, don't go assuming that I am trying to hide something. Some people just don't like to share their thoughts about things, especially ones that make them feel... uncomfortable, I guess." Kohaku looked at her feet.

  
        "Uncomfortable? What could possibly make you feel uncomfortable?" L asked.

  
        "It doesn't matter," she said, avoiding answering the question.

  
        "What doesn't matter?" L asked.

  
        Kohaku changed the subject. "Wow, it's hard to answer your questions; You ask too many."

  
        "I'll ask all that I need to, to figure that answer I'm trying to get," L replied.

  
        "Why does it matter?" Kohaku sighed.

  
        "Mostly because I wish to know. I'm curious," L stated. Kohaku looked away from her feet and stared at L, moving aside her hair that covered her eye earlier. She didn't say anything. "Are you sure there isn't something on your mind?"

  
        "You sure are something else," Kohaku stated, smiling. "You can act so adorable sometimes." She messed with his hair. "Maybe I should stop hanging out with you so much so I don't start falling in love with ya. Wouldn't that be something." Though she said it to play around, it was one of the things she was worried about: she knows that she is in love with him, or at least is beginning to fall in love with him, but she also knows that he'll have to go back to his true home once the case's over.

  
        "Is that a bad thing or something?" L asked.

  
        "Hm? Well... I don't know," she admitted. Was it really a bad thing for her to fall for him? In some ways, it was, but in some, it wasn't.

  
        "Couldn't it be something that you already know, you just don't really know how to wrap your head around it?" L asked.

  
        "...Perhaps," Kohaku answered slowly.

  
        "Maybe we could figure it out together?" L suggested.

  
        Kohaku smiled slightly again. "Yeah, maybe we could."

  
        "Sound like a plan?" L asked.

  
        Kohaku nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

  
        An awkward silence fell upon the two. L looked over at Kohaku for a moment. "You know, I really enjoy your company," he said.

  
        Kohaku slightly smiled once again and looked at him. "And I really enjoy your company, especially at times like this."

  
        L smiled a little bit. "I'm... I'm glad to hear that."

  
        Kohaku giggled a little. She took a step closer to L and poked his cheek. "I like your smile. It's so cute and adorable. I wish you'd smile more instead of having that blank stare and look all the time."

  
        L blushed for a moment. "I guess I should say the same to you, except for the blank stare part." He spoke nervously. Why was he so nervous suddenly?

  
        Kohaku tilted her head in a cute kind of way. "Hmm. I can try to stop having that blank look on my face then." She grinned.

  
        L smiled. "I didn't mean it that way. I think... you're adorable just the way you are."

  
        Kohaku blushed a little. "Oh, uh, well that's...really sweet of you to say."

  
        "Really? It felt kind of corny," L admitted.

  
        Kohaku laughed. "It was corny, but it was sweet."

  
        L realized how close the two of them were. He slowly looked up at Kohaku. The two stared at each other for a moment before they slowly started to lean in and slowly close their eyes. They get close enough for their lips to touch when...

  
        "Hey, Aizawa's back," Matsuda said as he appeared around the corner. Kohaku and L moved away from each other, eyes wide open, and they hid their blush well.

  
        "Cool..." Kohaku commented slowly. "Now he can go back to annoying me."

  
        "Uh… Was I interrupting something?" Matsuda asked, looking back and forth between Kohaku and L.

  
        "We were just having a small conversation," L stated. "We finished just as you appeared."

  
        "Oh. Okay then…" Matsuda said.

  
        "That was a nice chat...Ryuzaki," Kohaku stated. She walked past him and headed back to where the others were.

  
        "Uh…" Matsuda watched her walk off.

  
        "Matsuda, next time warn someone before you enter," L stated, walking after Kohaku.

  
        "Uh… Okay?" Matsuda said, confused. " _What was that all about?_ "

* * *

        Light is in his room, standing and staring at his TV. He was smirking. He seemed to be happy. He just watched the tape that L wanted to be broadcasted. "It looks like I've even got God on my side now. Well, I suppose it's actually a god of death."

  
        "Hyahya. Seems like it," Ryuk said.

  
        "It would appear that another Shinigami has come to the human world," Light said. "And somehow that Shinigami's death note has fallen into the hands of someone who agrees with Kira and this person most likely has the Shinigami eyes, which makes him very deadly. His power to kill surpasses even mine. One thing's for certain: If I leave things, I'm pretty sure that L will be finished off within the next four days. However, I can't forgive this impostor for the way he is tarnishing Kira's image with these senseless killings. Not to mention if he slips up and gets caught, the death note could be discovered and that I cannot allow. I cannot afford to leave him alone for much longer."

  
        Ryuk laughed. "Hahahahaha."

  
        Light looked at Ryuk. "Therefore, what needs to happen very soon is for me to join the task force. It'll allow me to keep track of L and this fake Kira."

* * *

        Some time had passed. Everyone was sitting around. Sakae had seen a few of the tapes of 'Kira'. Mr. Yagami walked into the room.

  
        "Ryuzaki, I'm afraid it's as you thought. Several of our member countries have wade in. And it seems they are in favor of having the real L appear on TV," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I think that's the most appropriate choice, given the options. Well, we still have 3 days before it happens. Maybe we can find some countermeasure. After all this, it would really annoy me…" L paused to eat some cake. He talked with his mouth full. "...If I'm killed by the first person who jump on the Kira bandwagon."

  
        Kohaku giggled a little. "Don't talk with your mouth full." L grinned a tiny bit.

  
        "Oh," Matsuda commented.

  
        "Ryuzaki, what do you mean by that?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "That there is a strong possibility that this Kira is a fake. No, we should think of him more as a second Kira," L said.

  
        The men gasped. Sakae bit her lip. Kohaku sighed.

  
        "A Second Kira?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "It wasn't any fun having one Kira, but a second one? This is making things more complicated," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Mhm," Sakae agreed.

  
        "I-I don't understand. Why do you think he's a copycat? How did you come to that conclusion?" Aizawa asked.

  
        "I looked at the victims he used for his prediction on Tape No.1. Their purpose was to prove to Sakura TV staff that he is Kira. Both their names were only reported in tabloids and daytime talk show, so they weren't exactly hardened criminals. Though real Kira has no need to prove himself using such insignificant criminals, but from the perspective of the second Kira, he'd want to make absolutely certain that he didn't predict the death of the criminal who could be killed by the real Kira first," L explained.

  
        "Ryuzaki, have you had to put a number on that? What's the probability of a second Kira?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "This time I'd say it's more than 70%. I really don't like the way he operates. It's not like Kira," L said.

  
        "Not like him?" Matsuda asked.

  
        "In the past he has traditionally avoided killing innocent people, with the exception of those who were trying to catch him. Anyway, if we can capture one Kira, I think that will provide us with a lot of inside of how we can find the other one. Mr. Yagami, I'd like your permission to ask your son to cooperate with us on this investigation," L said.

  
        "If you want my son to join the task force, does this mean you no longer suspect him?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Well, I can't say that he's been completely cleared, but his deductive ability would be invaluable to us right now," L said.

  
        "So that's what it means. If my son wants to cooperate with you, then I have no reason to prevent it." Mr. Yagami glanced at Kohaku and Sakae.

  
        "I appreciate that. However, please don't tell him that we think this latest Kira might be a fake. I don't want him to know that yet. We want to make it appear to him that we're still chasing the same Kira," L said.

  
        Sakae elbowed Kohaku's arm. Kohaku looked at her. "Hm?"

  
        "Maybe if Light joins, you two can renew your friendship," Sakae said, smiling a little bit.

  
        "Hmph. I rather be killed by Kira," Kohaku commented.

  
        Everyone looked at her. The men stared at her in shock while L stared at her questionably.

  
        "You can't actually mean that…" Sakae said, softly.

  
        Kohaku looked at the ceiling. She ignored the stares she was receiving. She acted as if she never said what she commented just moments ago. "As long as Light doesn't say anything that'll make me want to murder him brutally, I am fine with him joining if he wants to. I will talk to him whenever I feel like it, but that does not mean I wish to renew our friendship. He is barely even worthy of being forgiven for being such an asshole."

  
        "But he is only an...asshole sometimes," Sakae stated. "Give him another chance."

  
        "I said I was fine with him joining if he doesn't make me want to kill him," Kohaku stated.

  
        Sakae sighed.

* * *

        Mr. Yagami called Light the next day. Light entered L's hotel room. He and L shook hands.

  
        "Thank you, Light," L said.

  
        "Not at all. After all, I want to catch Kira as much as you do, Ryuga," Light said.

  
        "I'll have to ask that you call me Ryuzaki here," L said.

  
        "Huh?" Light questioned.

  
        "I'm Matsui," Matsuda said.

  
        "I'm Aihara," Aizawa said.

  
        "And I'm Asahi," Mr. Yagami said.  
  


        "Yes, of course. Then perhaps I should call myself Light Asahi?" Light questioned.

  
        "Yes, please do. To keep things simple from this point on, I'll call you Light. OK. Let's get down to work," L said.

  
        Light spotted Kohaku and Sakae sitting on a couch as he, L, Aisawa, Mr. Yagami, and Matsuda went over to the TV. "Should I still call you two by your real names or fake ones?"

  
        "If you ever call me Usagi Kagome, I'll throw you in front of a train," Kohaku stated with a glare.

  
        "Real name then," Light commented. He looked at Sakae.

  
        "It's awesome that you're able to join, Light!" Sakae smiled a little.

  
        "Hopefully, I'll be able to help with the investigation to find Kira," Light said.

  
        "Yeah…" Sakae looked down at the floor nervously.

  
        "You can start by looking over all the information we've collected. I'd also like you to examine these videos. They were sent to the TV station, but were never aired. For security reasons, you are not permitted to take notes and all materials must remain here," L said to Light.

  
        "I understand." Light sat the chair that was in front of the TV.

  
        "We will begin now," L said.

  
        Light was now watching one of the tapes of 'Kira'.

  
        "Now that you have seen proof of my powers, you should have no trouble believing that I am Kira. And this doesn't mean…" the tape went on and on.

  
        Light stared at the screen. " _The video is so mediocre. It's making me sick to my stomach, and I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm the real one? But this is a complete disgrace to everything Kira stands for. Something's not right here. Seems unusual that no one bother to explain this video to me. It's not like them._ " L, Aisawa, Matsuda, Mr. Yagami, Sakae, and Kohaku stood a little ways behind him, the girls had gotten off the couch to watch with the others. " _Well, in any case, I'd be stupid to comment on it. It's probably best if I say nothing. If I just leave it alone, L dies._ "

  
        L walked up behind Light, his right index finger to his lips. "So, what do you make of this, Light? Have you come to any conclusions?"

  
        " _Damn! It's a test_!" Light thought angrily. Light stood up and looked towards L, trying to remain completely calm. "It's hard to say for sure, but there might be another person out there with Kira's power."

  
        "With Kira's power? W-what do you mean by that, Light?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Yeah, whatcha mean by that?" Sakae asked.

  
        Kohaku tilted her head in slight interest.

  
        "At the very least, I'd say this tape was not created by the Kira we're familiar with. It's extremely out of character for him to use these kinds of victims for his killings. And since we've established that he needs a name and a face to kill, it makes you wonder how he was able to kill that detective and those two officers right outside the television station like that," Light said.

  
        "I-It's the same," Aizawa said.

  
        "That's almost exactly how L, I mean, Ryuzaki said it," Matsuda said.

  
        "That was incredible, Light. Now any doubts about you should be resolved," Mr. Yagami thought.

  
        Kohaku clapped sarcastically. "Bravo."

  
        Sakae elbowed Kohaku in the side. "You are correct, Light." She smiled at him.

  
        "We also believe that this is the work of a second Kira," L said.

  
        " _I knew it_!" Light looked at L. "So you knew about this all along, Ryuga, sorry, Ryuzaki? Which means this was just another one of your tests?" Light crossed his arms.

  
        "It wasn't my intention to test you," L said. "The truth is, if I was the only one who thought there was a second Kira, it wouldn't be too convincing, but the fact that we both came to the same conclusion makes the theory that much more believable. As expected, you did not disappoint us. You've been a great help. It's decided, then. First, we must focus on stopping this copy cat. From what we've seen, he sympathizes with the real Kira, but clearly lacks the sophistication. I think he might even be willing to obey the original. If so, we could lure him into a trap by sending our own message from the real Kira."

  
        "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You literally took the words right out of my mouth," Light said.

  
        "Oh, and Light, I would like you to play the part of the real Kira," L said.

  
        Sakae and Kohaku's eyes widened a bit.

  
        "Huh? Me, as Kira?" Light questioned.

  
        "Him as Kira?" the girls questioned.

  
        "Yes. You are the only one I can think of who would be able to pull something like this off," L explained. "At any rate, we don't have time to waste. Do you think you could script a message from Kira in time for it to be aired on this evening's national news?"

  
        Ryuk, who was standing behind Light the whole damn time, started laughing.

  
        " _Damn him! He must've been planning this from the beginning. It's the only reason I'm here_ ," Light thought.

  
        " _Eh… This isn't going to go well…_ " Sakae thought.

  
        " _Damn it, L! You're just giving Light a chance to get you killed! Ugh! You sure can do some stupid things, L… Maybe I should steal the Death Note and write Light's name… WHA?! WHAT AM I THINKING!? I can't kill Light, even if he is a jackass and my former best-friend… I just can't kill someone… Damn it… I don't want L to die either, though… Shit…_ " Kohaku thought.

* * *

        Light finished writing the script for the video. L, Sakae, and Kohaku were standing near Light, watching him closely. Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, and Matsuda were standing a bit ways away from them.

  
        "Ryuzaki, does this look OK? I think I managed to make it believable," Light said.

  
        L held the paper up in his little odd way. " Mmm…" He read it. "I think you've done an excellent job with this. However, if we don't omit the part that says 'You are free to kill L', then I'm gonna end up dead." He looked away from the paper and at Light.

  
        Light laughed. It was fake, of course. "Hahaha. Sorry, I guess I got carried away playing the part. I figured if I was him, I'd probably demand you be killed. I was improvising. Feel free to change it to whatever you like."

  
        " _Got carried away my ass_ ," Kohaku thought.

  
        "Sounds good," L said. "Okay, Aihara. The script is ready. I'll leave it to you."

  
        "All right," Aizawa responded.

  
        Light stood up to stretch and noticed a chair heading right at him at the last second, moving aside as it landed on the couch behind him. "What the hell?!" He turned to see Kohaku waving innocently. L watched silently.

  
        "Something wrong?" she asked, smirking.

  
        "You just threw another chair at me!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "Yeah. Your point is?" she questioned, still smirking.

  
        "You are really annoying sometimes!" Light yelled before sighing and trying to calm himself.

  
        "Hey, hey, calm down you two," Sakae interjected nervously. "I know you two aren't getting along but that doesn't mean you have to fight."

  
        "All I did was throw a chair at him to try to break his nose," Kohaku said, acting as if it wasn't a big deal. "It's a normal day for me, in my opinion."

  
        "Just a normal day whenever you're around me," Light mumbled.

  
        Sakae sighed. "You two...honestly. Can you at least get along? Don't have to be friends again, just try and get along?"

  
        "Hmph, fine." Kohaku pouted. "I really like throwing chairs at him though."

  
        "Why? If those damn things hit me, I'd be put into the hospital!" Light yelled.

  
        "I know." Kohaku smirked. Light glared at her.

  
        Sakae sighed. " _Sometimes I wish we didn't find the Death Note…_ "

  
        " _That was entertaining,_ " L thought.

* * *

        Several days have gone by. The gang is all around, minus Mogi. Mogi was hardly ever there, but kept in contact with everyone. Everyone was doing their own thing: Mr. Yagami, Light, L, and Sakae were in a circle, chatting while Aizawa, Matsuda, and Kohaku were chilling on the couch, somewhat talking. Watari's insignia appeared on the open laptop.

  
        "Ryuzaki, we have a reply from the second Kira," Watari said.

  
        "What?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Really?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        Everyone gathered around the laptop. L squatted into the chair that was in front of it.

  
        "I'll be bringing over the envelope and tape that we've received, and in the meantime, I'm streaming a copy of the video so you can view it on your end," Watari said.

  
        Watari's insignia was replaced with the Kira insignia. "Kira, thank you for your reply. Please do not worry. I'll follow orders and do as you say."

  
        "Wow," Matsuda said.

  
        "It worked!" Aizawa said.

  
        "I have a strange feeling that this second Kira is stupid," Kohaku commented.

  
        "What makes you say that?" Sakae asked her.

  
        "He or she replied to the fake Kira video we made," she answered.

  
        "Good point," Sakae commented.

  
        " _Huh. 'I will do as you say'. This guy's gonna be no help at all. If this fake had any idea what my wishes were, he'd insist that L appear on the TV and kill him anyway. How could you fall for something like this? Damn it!_ " Light thought.

  
        "I really want to meet you," the video said. "I don't think you have the eyes," Light's eyes widened, "But you don't have to worry. I will never try to kill you. That's a promise."

  
        " _What the hell is he thinking? Talking about Shinigami eyes in a public message like this_ ," Light thought.

  
        " _This guy really is stupid_ ," Kohaku thought. " _Mentioning something only people with a Death Note should know._ "

  
        " _I wonder who the second Kira is,_ " Sakae wondered in her head.

  
        "What's this having the eyes supposed to mean? Is it a code?" Aizawa wondered.

  
        "Yeah," Matsuda responded. "Sounds like one."

  
        L stared at the laptop with wide eyes.

  
        "Please tell me how I can meet you without the police knowing. You'll think of something. And when we meet, we can confirm identities by showing our Shinigami to each other," the tape continued.

  
        L let out a gasp.

  
        " _Eh?!_ " Sakae and Kohaku thought together. " _What the hell, second Kira?!_ "

  
        "Shinigami?" Matsuda, Mr. Yagami, and Aizawa wondered out loud.

  
        " _He's a liability. If I don't do something about him quickly…_ " Light couldn't finish his thought.

  
        "Aaaaahhh!" L yelled, raising his arms up in the air dramatically before falling out of his chair, knocking the chair over with him.

  
        "Ryuzaki! You all right?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        Kohaku moved over to L and kneeled beside him. "L?"

  
        "S-shinigami? Am I supposed to believe that? That shinigami actually exist?" L stared at the laptop. He was shaking a little. Kohaku wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to comfort. It worked since he slowly stopped shaking and started to relax in her arms.

  
        "That's impossible," Matsuda said.

  
        "Obviously they don't exist," Aizawa commented.

  
        "Yes, that's right, Ryuzaki. Listen to yourself. Of course shinigami don't exist," Light stated.

  
        "Mmm…" L looked towards Light. "You're probably right, but I remember that Kira had those prisoners write something suggesting the existence of shinigami. Also..." He looked at Kohaku who was still holding onto him. "Kohaku, you believe such a thing could exist, even if it is very likely that it doesn't, correct?"

  
        "Hm?" She looked at him as he continued to stare at her. "Yeah. I mean, almost anything can exist. God exists so why can't a God of Death?" Kohaku turned her head and noticed everyone staring at her. "What?"

  
        "You made a good point, Kohaku." Sakae smiled at her. "I couldn't have said that better myself." Kohaku laughed a little.

  
        "Perhaps we're dealing with the same person after all. That will differently explain why we are hearing the same words," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I don't think so, because if this was the same person, it's highly unlikely he would have responded to our video in the first place. And why would he agree to let L live after going to all the trouble of getting him to appear on the TV? The real Kira wants him dead. So it doesn't make sense," Light said.

  
        L rubbed his nose in frustration. Kohaku kissed his cheek, unknownst to everyone else, but L of course. He glanced at her and she gave him a small smile, which he returned. She helped him up.

  
        "Then maybe there's some other connection between the real one and this new guy. They could have already met and decided to use the word shinigami as a way to confuse us," Aizawa said.

  
        "No. I'd say that's unlikely." L picked up his chair and placed it back the way it was beforehand. He sat in his squatting position in it. "It's as Light says. If the two Kiras were connected, I don't think the impostor would be so willing to give up on his plan to kill me. All of this suggests to me that the copy cat has his own agenda, and he is acting independently of the first. I believe his actual motivation is to meet the original."

  
        "I think you're right. He's acting out of the interest in Kira. The word shinigami could very well be some reference to their killing power. Saying "We can confirm our identities by showing our shinigami to each other" probably means that they confirm their identities by somehow demonstrating their ability to kill," Light said.

  
        "Yes, that's it. Based on their messages, we can assume that the word shinigami must hold some other meaning that only the real Kira and the second Kira are aware of. Now we just need to convince this copycat to tell us what that is," L said.

  
        "So will you respond and force him to be more specific?" Light questioned. "We have to be careful how we handle this. We can't make it too obvious that we're asking, otherwise he'll realize we're not Kira."

  
        "No. From now on, it's best that we leave it up to the two Kiras," L said.

  
        "Huh? What do you mean?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "I imagine that the second Kira is probably quite satisfied with the current situation, now that he's received televised response. He sent a message to get Kira's attention, and as far as he knows he now has it. Also with that word he used - one that only two of them would understand - we'll arrange to have this reply broadcast today on Sakura 6 o'clock news. Naturally, this will be of interest to Kira. And he'll be following this exchange between the copy cat and the one we had invented. Now if I were Kira himself, my priority would be to prevent this impostor from coming into contact with the police. This is good for us, because it means that the real Kira may feel pressured to respond this time," L said.

  
        "Hmm…" Kohaku mumbled.

  
        "OK, but let's say that he doesn't respond. Then what will we do?" Aizawa asked.

  
        "Yes. I've been thinking about what the second Kira might do if he gets no response. For one, he might reveal more information that he knows Kira wants to keep secret to pressure him into a meeting. Of course that would make Kira nervous. It could be interesting and what would be more interesting is if Kira sends a message of his own to prevent this from happening. Ideally, this could provide us with the physical evidence we'll need to build a case against him. In the meantime, let's gather all the information we can on this copy cat," L stated.

  
        Everyone nodded.

* * *

        Light is walking Sakae home.

  
        "I wonder who the second Kira is," Sakae wondered out loud.

  
        "I don't know, but hopefully I can find out before L and the others do," Light stated.

  
        "That's right. You'd want to make sure they wouldn't do anything stupid, I would presume," Sakae commented then laughed a little bit. "All of this…feels so weird. I kind of wish…everything would go back to the way it was before; when Kohaku wasn't mad at you; when none of this investigation even happened. But..." Sakae's voice trailed off.

  
        "But?" Light looked confused.

  
        "Kohaku wouldn't have found the love she has now. She wouldn't be as happy as she is now." Sakae sighed a little. "I'm glad she found it though. It's made her…friendlier ironically."

  
        "Yes, I can tell," Light commented sarcastically. "That's very evident by her chair throwing."

  
        A laugh escaped from Sakae. "That's only towards you, mister. You don't really know her like I do. Anyway…" Sakae smiled a little as they continued walk down the street. She began to hum a little then she eventually started singing softly to herself. Light couldn't help but smile as he listened to her. Somehow, he could tell that the two of them had gotten closer since Kohaku had left. "Light! Look!"

  
        Light was driven out of his thoughts but Sakae jumping up and down, pointed up at the sky. "What?"

  
        "There was a shooting star!" Sakae closed her eyes tight.

  
        "What are you doing?" Light asked.

  
        "Making a wish," she responded.

  
        "What did you wish for?" Light asked as the two of them started walking again.

  
        "If I tell you, it won't come true," Sakae stated. Her apartment building soon came into few. "Thanks for walking me home, Light."

  
        "You're welcome, Sakae. I'm happy to do it." Light smiled at her.

  
        Light was shocked when Sakae suddenly hugged him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. "Thanks, Light. I'll see you later." Sakae went to pull away but was still trapped by Light's arms around her. She looked up at him as he was looking down at her. "Light?" Sakae noticed that he was slowing leaning down. "Light?" She said softly to try and get his attention. She closed her eyes and began to lean up to meet him.

  
        "Sak- What the heck is going on?!" Someone called out, scaring the two and making them separate. Ryuichi stood above them, staring down at them. "What are you two doing?!"

  
        "Um…nothing?" Sakae shrugged slightly as she began to walk up the stairs.

  
        "I-I'll see you later, Sakae," Light called out, feeling chills run down his spine as Ryuichi glared down at him.

  
        "Bye, Light!" Sakae smiled then ran inside, blushing like mad.

  
        Ryuichi continued to stare down at Light. Light meet his gaze. Neither one blinked for the next moment. Ryuichi suddenly blinked then slammed the railing. "Hurt my little sister and I'll throw you off a bridge!" He yelled before going outside.

  
        "O-Okay…" Light said before heading home.

  
        Sakae stood behind a wall as she stared at her brother. "Nothing happened! I swear."

  
        "I know. You don't need a boyfriend right now. You just need to worry about school. I can't lose my little Sakae right now!" Ryuichi cried out as he pulled Sakae into a bear hug. "I still need my baby sister!"

  
        "Ryu! Get off me!" Sakae yelled. She pushed him away. "Going to kill me or something?"

  
        "What?! Of course not!" Ryuichi exclaimed.

  
        Sakae laughed a little bit. "Okay, okay." She gave Ryuichi a hug before heading to her room. "Night!"

  
        "Hey, maybe I should show Light those baby pictures. Could scare him away," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Shut up!" He heard Sakae yell before hearing a door slam. He just smiled to himself then laughed.

  
        "My little sister is growing up," Ryuichi said before heading to the kitchen.


	14. Misa - The Crazy Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misa shows up!

        Some time has passed. It may have been a few days that had gone by. By this point, only L is probably keeping up with the dates and how many days that have gone by. Currently, everyone (minus Mogi, of course) is in L's hotel room. They are discussing the journal the second Kira had sent.

  
        "He wanted this journal shown on TV?" Light asked.

  
        "Yes." Mr. Yagami handed him the journal. "This is it."

  
        "Hmm." Light looked at it. "2006? These entries are from last year."

  
        "Please take a look at the entry he made on the 30th," L instructed.

  
        Light looked at the entry. " _Confirmed our shinigami at the Tokyo dome. This is probably supposed to mean that he plans to do this on May 30th. If this were aired on TV, his intention would be obvious to anyone who sees it_."

  
        Kohaku is chilling in a chair beside L, sitting in her usual curled up position. She had a blank look on her face again. "I'm so bored…"

  
        "Well." Sakae walked over to stand next to Kohaku's chair. "Maybe because the men are discussing what to do about this second Kira. Bound to be boring in some way. At least to us."

  
        Kohaku stares at the ceiling. "This second Kira seems to be fond of the real Kira." L glanced in her direction and listened to their conversation quietly.

  
        "Fond is an understatement. From the way second Kira talks, they idolize Kira. It makes me wonder how far they would go to get what they want," Sakae wondered for a moment.

  
        "How much farther can they go? The second Kira has taken the lives of a few innocent people, just because they didn't approve of what Kira is doing." Kohaku got up.

  
        "You'd be surprised. People in this world are crazy. One wrong move and they could blow up," Sakae commented.

  
        "If only Kira would make a wrong move," Kohaku commented. Light glanced in her direction.

  
        "That would...definitely be surprising," Sakae said, glancing around the room.

  
        "Everyone fucks up. I wonder if Kira will eventually and hopefully, it will be soon." Though she says she wants the case to be over, she really doesn't want it to be. She wanted more time with L. They hardly speak to each other with the men and Sakae around and barely get a chance to be alone now-a-days. It was quite depressing for Kohaku.

  
        Sakae sighed slightly and leaned on a table. "No one can really know." Sakae looked at Kohaku and could tell what her friend was feeling. She stared down at her feet. Kohaku sighed and walked around the room quietly. L watched her silently, beginning to feel a little concerned about her.

  
        Light was back to looking at the entries. " _May 22nd. 'My friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama.' If by notebook, he's referring to our death notes. That's something that could only be understood by me. As for the police, they'll be distracted by the May 30th entry. 'We confirmed our shinigami at the baseball game at the Tokyo dome.' It must've been intended for them. I'm almost positive that the real message from this diary is the one regarding Aoyama but if that's the case…"_

  
        L stood and walked over to Light. "What do you think? Is it real?"

  
        " _I have to be careful not to say too much. Better to wait and hear his opinion first,"_ Light thought. "At this point in time, all I can say for sure is he must be stupid."

  
        "Finally!" Kohaku cheered for behind him suddenly, causing him to jump. "Something we can actually agree on." She moved to stand beside him. "Ain't you jumpy?" She elbowed him in the side lightly, smirking.

  
        "You just shouted randomly. Why wouldn't I jump?" Light said, annoyed slightly.

  
        "L didn't jump," Kohaku pointed out. "And I cheered randomly, not shouted."

  
        "Because he saw you coming!" Light exclaimed. "...and whatever! It's the same thing!"

  
        Kohaku pouted. "Hmph, whatever. Thanks for ruining my few seconds of fun. Anyways, I too believe that the second Kira is stupid."

  
        "Yeah. I agree. I mean it's completely obvious he wants to meet Kira at the home game," Matsuda commented, throwing in his two cents.

  
        "He could be trying to show off the skills he has to Kira, showing that he can be a good help or useful in some way," Sakae interjected in.

  
        "Good point to be made," Light commented.

  
        "Mmm…" Kohaku nodded.

  
        "Doesn't he understand what would happen if we aired this message? It will create media panic and the game would have to be cancelled," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        L walked over to the table and picked up a chocolate and ate it, speaking as he chewed. "To be honest, it's so stupid. I'm not even sure how to deal with this whole situation anymore."

  
        "Hm?" Kohaku looked at him.

  
        He sat back in his chair and started to explain. "If we make the diary public, then we are forced to make some kind of televised announcements canceling the game on the 30th, but if we don't broadcast it, we can't be sure the second Kira won't do anything."

  
        "Won't canceling the game make him angry? There's no telling what he'll do," Light said.

  
        "Frankly, that's not a big concern. From what we witnessed, it's safe to say the second Kira admires the real one. He gave his word to the Kira we invented that he'd refrain from killing aimlessly. I'm inclined to believe that. I say we make it public and we air an announcement canceling the game. At the same time, we'll announce that on May 30th, we're going to set checkpoints on all roads leading to the Tokyo dome and finally, we'll send a response from our invented Kira - something like 'I understand and I agreed to meet you there'," L said.

  
        "Ryuzaki. You don't honestly expect him to go there if we set up checkpoints around the dome, do you?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "I don't think that Kira will even consider it, but it's possible the other one might. It all depends on how stupid he really is. However, assuming he's not actually an idiot that we think he is, there could be another message hidden in this diary; one that is not so obvious. If there is a message here written in some code that only people who have this Shinigami power can understand, there'll be no way for me to decipher it. Still, it would only make sense for us to look into all the places that are mentioned in the journal. 22nd he's meeting a friend in Aoyama, 24th meeting another friend in Shibuya. We have to be prepared for the possibility that all of our efforts would be fruitless. Let's keep an eye out for people with notebooks in Aoyama and people in clothing stores in Shibuya," L said.

  
        Everyone was sitting in a circle now, minus Light who was standing up.

  
        " _It's as I thought. If this phony Kira slips up and gets apprehended, at the very least, I have to obtain his notebook and in the worst case, I may end up having to kill everyone there,"_ Light thought.

  
        " _This is so annoying,"_ Kohaku thought. " _I hate this second Kira."_

  
        "All we can do is place more surveillance cameras in Aoyama and Shibuya in the hopes that we might capture something. We should also arrange to have undercover officers on both locations on these days," L said.

  
        "I should probably go to Aoyama and Shibuya, since I blend in with the crowd there, you know," Matsuda said.

  
        "I'll go, too," Light said.

  
        "But Light…" Mr. Yagami began.

  
        "I'll be alright. Don't worry. Aoyama and Shibuya are places I go anyway. Not to mention, out of all of us, I'll probably look the most natural hanging out with Matsui there. Besides, the second Kira will be there looking for Kira, not for the police," Light said.

  
        "I'll go as well," Sakae said.

  
        "Mmm… You three should be careful then." Kohaku stood up and headed towards the door.

  
        "Kohaku, is something wrong?" L asked, watching her and speaking to her for probably the first time that day in front of everyone.

  
        "Just wanna stretch my legs. I'll be back in about 5 minutes." She didn't look back at everyone as she exited the room.

  
        Everyone went to doing their own thing. Sakae plopped down on the couch. She laid back into the cushions to relax. " _All of this is just giving me a freaking headache."_ She thought to herself. " _But I do wonder who this second Kira could be. What if it was a girl?"_ She closed to her eyes to lose herself in thoughts but she heard footsteps walks up next to her. "Yes, Light?" She asked, with her eyes still closed.

  
        "How did you know it was me?" He asked, surprised a little bit. "Do you have some ability I don't know about?"

  
        "If you call intuition some supernatural ability, then I guess you could say that," she replied as she opened her eyes to look up at Light. "What can I do for ya?"

  
        "I was just coming to see if you were okay," Light said.

  
        Sakae narrowed her eyes as she stared at Light. "I feel like there is an underlying reason for this. Is there something you're not telling me, Mr. Light?" She teased slightly.

  
        "There could be many things I'm not telling you. You'd have to figure that out for yourself," he replied, smirking a little.

  
        "Ah," Sakae stood up from the couch and looked at Light. "Don't underestimate me, mister. You'll found out that you'll lose real quick."

  
        "Is that a challenge?" Light asked as he got closer to Sakae.

  
        "Perhaps it is." Sakae put her hands on her hip and smirked slightly. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that you still your pride intact…mostly."

  
        "Hmm…you talk big, Sakae. You sure you pull through with it?" Light teased.

  
        "Of course," she replied. "I can take-" She realized that they were barely a few inches from each other. "I see you love to get in people faces."

  
        Light looked down and quickly back away from Sakae. "I-It's just a habit."

  
        "Doesn't seem like it. You've started doing it just recently and only around me. Something up?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Of course not; why would getting a new habit be something suspicious?" Light suggested.

  
        Sakae laughed a little bit as she saw Light getting flustered. "Well, Light, it could mean," Sakae leaned up slightly to Light's ear. "You could like somebody." Light started blushing like a fire engine. "See? Now excuse me, I'm going to go do something." Sakae left Light standing where she was and went off to do whatever.

* * *

        Kohaku stood outside the hotel. She stared at the sky. The sun was setting. She had to get away from everyone. She had gotten use to being around the men. She just had to get use to Sakae and Light being around her again. Her thoughts started to drift towards L.

  
        " _Sadly… I am glad that Light, Sakae, and I found the Death Note… I wouldn't have met L… I wouldn't have...found love…if it is even love that I feel towards L..."_ Kohaku felt her eyes beginning to water. " _I don't want the case to end… I want to stay with L as long as possible… I don't want him to leave me… Who knew that a girl like me could fall in love with a detective in just a couple of months of being around him constantly..."_ She blinked back her tears. "I should think positive… Maybe, while L is around, me and him can find time to talk to each other like we've been doing...except we'll be having more moments where we can talk and not just once every few days." She started to walk across the street. "I need to stop talking to myself when I am alone…"

  
        As she got to the other side of the street, she ran into someone and landed on her ass. "Ow…"

  
        "Well, well. Lookie here."

  
        Kohaku recognized the voice and looked up. Standing in front of her was Sudo and two of his friends. He was smiling slyly at her. She glared at him. "Sudo." Sudo smiled more and looked at his friends, nodding at them. They moved to pick Kohaku off the ground roughly. They held onto her arms.

  
        "Let go!" Kohaku yelled. She glanced around to see that the streets were vacant. " _Great… No witnesses… I guess I'll have to resort to violence to get out of this. Again."_

  
        "She's shaking in fear," one of Sudo's friends laughed. She was shaking, yeah, but not from fear. She was shaking in anger. They were pissing her off. How dare they put their hands on her.

  
        "You have one more chance to let me go before I kick your asses!" Kohaku exclaimed.

  
        "I'd like to see you try," Sudo's other friend said. "Are you gonna beat her up or not, Sudo? I'm tired of holding her."

  
        "Don't rush me," Sudo said. "I wanna enjoy this." Sudo raised his fist. "This is what happens when you mess with me." He swung his fist towards her.

  
        Kohaku ducked and yanked her arms free from Sudo's two goon-ish friends. She elbowed one of Sudo's friends in the stomach, making him kneel to the ground in pain and holding his stomach. The other friend tried to grab her and restrain her, but she did a spinning kick and knocked the guy out once her foot made contact with his face. He fell to the ground with a thud.

  
        Sudo glared at her and tried to punch her. She moved out of the way. "Stop moving!"

  
        "This is what you get for thinking that you could beat up someone like me!" She tackled him to the ground. She proceeded to punch him in the face multiple times, making his lip and nose bleed. She didn't pay no mind to Sudo's friend, that was conscious, who took off running away from the scene in fear. She went to punch Sudo one more time when she felt a small stinging sensation in her cheek. She blinked in surprise. He had just slapped her. It most definitely was gonna leave a handprint, as well as a red mark for at least thirty minutes or so.

  
        Sudo pushed her off of him and pulled out a knife. "Stupid bitch!" He got on top of her and cut cheek that he hadn't slapped. Blood dripped out of the new wound. Kohaku kicked him off her. He landed on his ass in front of her, knife still in hand. Kohaku stood up and got her fists ready so she could punch the shit outta him if he came at her, not caring that he still had the knife and that he could easily kill her if she let her guard down.

  
        Sudo stood up and ran at her. Kohaku side stepped as he tried to stab her and she punched him in the face again. Sudo spit out some blood and continued trying to stab Kohaku. She back flipped out of the way.

  
        "STOP MOVING!" Sudo shouted, running at Kohaku to tackle her and stab her. She side stepped again and did another spinning kick. Sudo barely dodge it. Kohaku proceeded to flip Sudo over. As he landed on the ground, his head hit the concrete of the sidewalk rather hard and knocked him unconscious.

  
        Kohaku panted. "Motherfucker…" She looked at her arms, seeing bruises from where the goons had held on to her tightly. "Bastards…" Today wasn't the best day to have taken off her wrinkled boy shirt and walk around in her black tanktop that she always wore underneath. If she walks back into the hotel room with bruises on her arm, a handprint of her left cheek, and a cut on her right cheek, she'll be harassed with a bunch of frantic questions from not only Mr. Yagami, but Sakae and maybe even Light too. She sighed and looked at the unconscious Sudo. He was wearing a black jacket. "Hmm…" She kneeled beside him and decided to take his jacket. It was nice enough to steal anyways so why the fuck not. It'll hide her bruises and she could put the hoodie up to cover her face.

  
        Once she removed Sudo's jacket and put it on, she immediately put the hood over her head and she ran across the street, back to the hotel. Only, she didn't head to L's room. She sat in the lobby. It was safe and no one would dare attack her where there were witnesses, not unless they were bold enough.

* * *

        A ding rang off as one of the hotel elevators came to a stop. L stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened in front of him. He made his way to the lobby where he saw Kohaku sitting. "Hey," he called out to her as he made his way over to her.

  
        Kohaku made the jacket's hood cover her face more. "Hi. I wasn't expecting you to come down."

  
        He shrugged a little. "I guess I was getting a little worried after you didn't come back. Is everything okay?"

  
        "Mhm, everything is peachy keen," she said with a slight note of sarcasm in her tone.

  
        "Then why are you hiding your face?" He asked.

  
        "Eh..." Kohaku sweat-dropped. "Because I want to?"

  
        "This seems oddly out of character for you," L commented. "Did something happen?"

  
        " _I wonder why he isn't asking where I got the jacket,"_ she wondered in her head. She stood up. "Nothing happened. At least, nothing that concerns you." She turned to walk out of the hotel and ran into a few people, falling flat on her ass and the hood falling down. "Ugh… I really hate it when that happens…"

  
        L walked over to her and helped her up. "What happened?" He examined her face: her left cheek was red and the other had a cut.

  
        "Nothing happened," she said.

  
        "That cut and red mark on your cheeks say otherwise," L pointed out.

  
        Kohaku placed her hands on L's shoulders and gripped them firmly. She looked him in the eyes. "Just drop it, Ryuzaki. Nothing happened and I am fine."

  
        "Better to tell now than to have questioned later," L commented.

  
        Kohaku sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "I wish you would just stop asking…" She sighed. "Fiiiine. An asshole named Sudo tried to beat me up with the help of his goons because I crushed Sudo's ego when I made him give back the money he stole from someone and when I dodged his punches when he tried to harm me. He said he'd get his revenge or whatever and it took him long enough to finally try something." She sniffed L's shoulder absentmindedly. "You smell like sweets."

  
        "I perhaps may have had some before I came down here," L stated.

  
        Kohaku smiled a little. "You and your love for sweets."

  
        "You can't tell me you don't like them too," L commented. They both did indeed love sweets.

  
        "Hmph," Kohaku pouted.

  
        "Did I say something?" L asked, confused.

  
        Kohaku's head was still on his shoulder. "No. Just felt like pouting."

  
        "That's an odd thing to feel," L commented.

  
        "Indeed it is," she replied.

  
        "But feelings can be an odd thing in general," L stated.

  
        "Yeah," Kohaku agreed.

  
        "I guess I'm one to talk, aren't I?" L asked.

  
        "Mmm. I guess so." Kohaku moved her head off of his shoulder. She was very close to L, their faces rather close to one another.

  
        "A-Are you okay?" L asked nervously.

  
        Kohaku grinned, blushing slightly. "Yeah. What made you want to ask me that? Of course I'm okay."

  
        "No reason," L spoke nervously still as he unconsciously scratched the back of his head.

  
        Kohaku pouted a little. "Come on, there had to be a reason."

  
        "I can't think of one," he revealed, blushing the tiniest bit.

  
        Kohaku stared at him, confused. "You can't? But you're...you." People walked past them as they headed to their hotel rooms or out of the hotel. "You can think of a lot of things. You've gotten us this far in the...thing that I can't speak of here with people around."

  
        "Detective work, yes," L said, lowly so only Kohaku could hear as move people walked around them in the hotel lobby. He then spoke louder. "But...feelings are different. I don't know how to deal with them," he confessed.

  
        "I don't know how to deal with feelings well myself. But," she placed her hands on his shoulders again, "You'll learn how to deal with emotions you never felt before. As will I. It'll...just take time."

  
        "But...the feelings I'm feeling right now, I don't understand them. It's so confusing," L stated.

  
        "Feelings can be quite confusing sometimes." Kohaku bit her lip.

  
        "Very confusing, but, I guess it is apart of human nature to feel," L said, blushing a little more.

  
        "Yeah." She placed one of her hands on one of L's cheeks and stroked it. "You're blushing."

  
        L placed his hand over Kohaku's absentmindedly. "I-I am?"

  
        Kohaku nodded shortly. "Mhm... It's cute."

  
        "C-Cute? Really?" A small smile appeared across L's face.

  
        "Yeah." Kohaku blushed a little.

  
        They stared deeply into each other's eyes. They forgot about the people that were walking around them and just stared at one another. Kohaku started to lean towards L, closing her eyes. L closed his own, but was too shy to lean towards her this time. Their lips connected for the first time. L slowly places his hands on Kohaku's waist and he slowly kissed her back, absorbing her essence into his very cells. Kohaku's arms wrapped around L's neck. After about two minutes of kissing, the two slowly pulled apart, blushing deeply. People around them had stopped to watch and they were clapping.

  
        "Such a cute couple," a female commented.

  
        Kohaku laughed a little at the comment and L smiled before he leaned in to reclaim her mouth in another long, passionate kiss.

* * *

        It was dark out. Matsuda, Light, and Sakae were outside. Light and Sakae were entering a cab.

  
        "We'll talk more about our trips tomorrow," Light told Matsuda.

  
        "Sounds good, Light. See you two tomorrow. Careful getting home," Matsuda said. The cab drove off with Light and Sakae inside it. Matsuda headed to go back inside the hotel when his phone ran. " _It never fails. The second I'm out the door, my phone starts ringing."_ He pulled his phone out and answered it. "Yes?"

  
        "It's Ryuzaki. When you are working with Light and Sakae, I want you to keep a closer eye on Light the entire time. Also, please keep this between you and me."

  
        "Oh, sure. Yeah, I understand," Matsuda said. He hung up the phone. " _I guess he still plans to investigate Light to the probability that he is Kira, which is zero."_ He headed inside.

* * *

        L put his phone in his pocket. He walked away from the window and headed to the kitchen. He spotted Kohaku leaning against the counter, eating something chocolaty. He eyed it. "What's that?"

  
        "Chocolate Castella," she answered with her mouth full. She swallowed. "Sponge cake in other words. I just finished making it." She took another bite of her chocolate sponge cake. "I'm a chocoholic; I love chocolate so damn much."

  
        "You...can cook?" L questioned. This was news to him; not once had he seen her cook or heard her talk about cooking.

  
        "I can only cook a couple of desserts and that's it," she admitted after she swallowed another piece of her dessert.

  
        "Can I try it?" he asked shyly, blushing a little.

  
        Kohaku giggled. "Sure."

  
        L took a bit of the cake. "It's really good."

  
        "Awesome!" Kohaku cheered.

  
        "What other things can you cook?" L asked.

  
        "Um...well, like I said, a couple of desserts...that involve chocolate, obviously...and brownies & cookies," Kohaku said after thinking about it for a few moments.

  
        "That sounds amazing," L commented. Kohaku blushed. "Could you cook something some other time?" L asked.

  
        "Yeah," Kohaku answered. L smiled a little at her and he ate some more of the sponge cake.

* * *

        Sakae stretched her arms up as she yawned and settled back into the car seat.

  
        "Tired?" Light asked.

  
        Sakae laid her head on Light's shoulder. "Yeah, a little bit; considering the time and the lack of sleep I've been getting lately, it's a surprise I haven't passed out yet," She stated as she closed her eyes.

  
        "Why haven't you been getting any sleep?" Light asked again, looking a little worried.

  
        "The case, homework, school, Ryuichi, karate lessons; so many things that have to be done and I feel as if there isn't enough time to get it all done. I wish we could got back to simpler times." Sakae thought of her times back in high school before the time of the notebook, when there was no fighting and they all had each other. A small sigh escaped Sakae.

  
        "I know what you mean; but, once it's all over, there will be a world that we can all be happy in," Light said.

  
        Sakae opened her eyes and looked up at Light with a concerned look. "You're forgetting one thing. In order for you to have your perfect world, sacrifices need to be made. Those sacrifices, I don't like them, especially one of them."

  
        "I know, I know," Light said as he thought for a moment. "I keep trying to think of a way around it, so she can have her happy ending, but… They all come to the same conclusion. There is only one way to get what I want and he stands in the way."

  
        Sakae sat up. "I understand…" She smiled a little bit. "At least we can watch her be happy."

  
        "Yea…" Light mumbled, frowning a little. He honestly didn't want to ruin Kohaku's happiness, but L had to die for the new world to be created. Sakae's apartment building came into view.

  
        "Oh, looks like the ride's over." The cab stopped at the side of the curb. Sakae opened the door to get.

  
        "Sakae?" Light called out.

  
        "Yes?" Sakae turned to look at Light.

  
        "I…It's nothing. Have a good evening and I'll see you later," Light said.

  
        Sakae looked a little confused but shrugged a little. "See ya, Light." And she exited the cab, leaving Light behind in the seat. She watched the cab drive off and stood against a lap post. " _I wonder…could he possibly?_ " She thought to herself for a second but shook her head and headed up to the apartment.

* * *

        "I'm home," Light called out as he entered his house.

  
        Mrs. Yagami walked up to him. "Hello, dear. You're back quite late today."

  
        "Yeah. Ah, it's because I was hanging out with my girlfriend," he replied. " _I'm suppose to keep the fact I'm helping the Kira investigation a secret."_

  
        Mrs. Yagami stared at her son in surprise. "You were?"

  
        Sayu ran out of the other room and stood beside their mother, giggling. "Light, you have a girlfriend now? What's her name?" She smiled and giggled more. "Is it Sakae?! Please tell me it is!" It was amazing how she wasn't jumping up and down out of excitement.

  
        Light avoided the Sakae question. "It's not that surprising. I'm 18 and I'm in an university now. Of course, I have a girlfriend. You should look for a boyfriend, Sayu." He headed to his room.

  
        Sayu blushed a little. "Hm? A boyfriend? What's that supposed to mean?"

  
        "Light, aren't you going to have any dinner?" Mrs. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Actually, I'm still full from the room service at the hotel," Light replied as he started to enter his room.

  
        "Ah, I can't believe you just said that to Mom," Sayu said, smiling. "So what's this about the hotel? Sounds pretty suspicious!" She didn't get a reply from Light.

  
        Once he was in his room, he shut the door behind him and locked it. Ryuk, who was always following him and having the tendency of being completely silent, was by him like always. Light decided to talk to him. "OK, Ryuk. We need to have a little talk."

  
        "Ah, should have known," Ryuk said.

  
        "And I'd appreciate an answer if you could. If two shinigami happen to meet in the human world, are they allowed to speak to each other?" Light went over to his desk and sat in it.

  
        "Hard to say," Ryuk said, moving to stand behind Light. "As long as I'm attached to a human, I'd say it's against the rules unless I had their permission first. But there's no laws against it, either. So I guess it's possible that another shinigami might talk to me."

  
        "So does that mean that if this fake Kira's shinigami would see you, there's a chance he might mention the fact you're with me and reveal that I'm Kira?" Light questioned.

  
        "They probably wouldn't, but it depends on their personality," Ryuk said.

  
        "And if this kind of situation did arise, I can assume that you'll act the way you normally do?" Light questioned.

  
        "Even if I see another human with a shinigami, I'm not gonna tell you," Ryuk stated.

  
        "Well, I definitely think you've got the right approach," Light said.

  
        "Hm? Thanks," Ryuk replied.

  
        Light looked up some information on his laptop. "Huh? There's no way. Did he really think this far ahead?"

  
        "What is it?" Ryuk questioned, looking over Light's shoulder.

  
        "Aoyama is a big area. I was searching for possible meeting places when I stumbled across this. On the 22nd, there's a big event going on at a club in Aoyama called the 'Note Blue' Aoyama, blue mountain. Note and blue; its code," Light said, mainly to himself.

  
        "Well, well, if you ask me, that's pretty elaborate," Ryuk said.

  
        "He might be smarter than I thought which means I have to be that much more careful from now on. In any case, this 'Note Blue' place is definitely worth checking out," Light stated.

  
        "What's the point in going there, if you don't want him to find out that you're Kira. You really think it's worth a risk?" Ryuk questioned. He didn't get an answer.

* * *

        It's daylight of a brand new fabulous day. Light and Sakae are with a group of friends from the university. Matsuda walked up to them.

  
        "Oh, excuse me, Light; Sakae. What's going on here?" Matsuda asked.

  
        "Oh, these are some of our friends from school," Light said.

  
        Matsuda bowed to them a little. "Nice to meet you."

  
        "This is my cousin, Taro," Light told the group of friends. "It's his first time ever in Tokyo and he wants to see Aoyama and Roppongi. So I figured the least we could do is show him a good time. I'm counting on you guys! Oh yeah, he also told me he's looking for a girlfriend. So, does anyone wanna volunteer?" The group of friends laughed.

  
        "Hey! I never said that!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "You are so silly, Taro," Sakae said, smiling. Matsuda smiled nervously.

  
        " _I'm impressed, Light and Sakae,"_ Matsuda thought as he, Light, Sakae, and the group walked around. " _I doubt that anyone would ever suspect that there was a police detective hanging around with the students."_

  
        " _With all of us walking together like this, even if Ryuk is seen, no one would be able to tell which one of us he's following. It's also a good defense against L's surveillance cameras. Not such a bad way to investigate really. I just have to stay relaxed and keep an eye on the entrance of the Note Blue when it opens_ ," Light thought.

  
        Unknownst to Sakae, Light, and Matsuda, the second Kira was watching them from inside a shop, wearing a disguise. The second Kira's name...is Misa. She could see Light's name but not his lifespan.

  
        "Found you!" Misa cheered to herself. "Moon Yagami, is it? You're the only one whose lifespan I can't see. He is Kira! I can't believe it! And never thought it would be this easy to find him." She stood up. "All right Rem. Time to go."

  
        Rem looked at her in confusion. "Ha! You finally found him and now you just want to leave?"

  
        "Well I can't go up to him and say 'Hi, Kira! Nice to meet you. I'm the one who sent you the messages' with all these people around." Misa had a good point. "I know his name now, so I can easily find out all about him. After all, it's such a unique name." She headed out of the store with Rem.

* * *

        Light, Sakae, Kohaku, Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, L, and Matsuda were sitting around in a circle like they usually did when they had meetings in L's hotel room. A couple of days or so had gone by.

  
        "So we were there both days, In Aoyama on the 22nd and Shibuya on the 24th, and we observed nothing of significance on either location. That leaves us with only the Dome on the 30th," Aizawa stated as he read from the paper in his hand.

  
        " _I didn't notice anyone who looked suspicious at the Note Blue. Was he serious about the Dome?"_ Light thought.

  
        "Ryuzaki," Watari said through the laptop. "Apparently Sakura TV has just received another message from the 2nd Kira. It was postmarked on the 23rd." He transferred the tape to them.

  
        "I'm happy to say that I have found Kira to all the people of television station and the police department. I'd like to thank you very much," the second Kira said.

  
        " _Hm? I-impossible! Where in Aoyama? His shinigami. It must have seen Ryuk and picked me out of the crowd. No! There's no way he could've known who Ryuk was attached to. I checked repeatedly that no one was following me_ ," Light thought.

  
        " _This second Kira might be a little smarter than I thought_ ," Kohaku thought.

  
        " _If this is true, the only possible event that corresponds with this tape he mailed on the 23rd is the entry regarding Aoyama on the 22nd.. The only ones from the task force who went to Aoyama are Matsuda and Light Yagami. Is Light really Kira after all?_ " L thought.

  
        "This is a disaster if he found him," Aizawa said.

  
        "Yeah and most likely it means that the two Kiras are now cooperating with each other," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "We shouldn't jump to any conclusions just yet," Kohaku commented.

  
        L nodded in agreement. "Yes. The second Kira is only saying that he found him, nothing more. He may not have made contact yet."

  
        "Hmm," Mr. Yagami grunted. Sakae bit her lip.

  
        "Now that it comes to this, we have no choice but to communicate as the police directly with the second Kira," L said.

  
        "You wanna send a message?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Yes. The police need to reach out the copycat and offer him a deal. We need to negotiate with him to see if we can get Kira's real name," L said.

  
        "Good idea," Kohaku commented.

  
        Ryuk was laughing. "Hahaha. That's the last thing you wanted to hear, right?"

  
        " _This isn't good. I have no idea how the fake Kira will react to this, but I have no means of stopping the police from sending this message_ ," Light thought.

  
        " _This is bad_ …" Sakae thought.

* * *

        Kohaku and Sakae are at Light's house. They are in his room, chilling on his bed. Light was standing. All three of them were looking at the TV. The police's video was playing on it.

  
        "If Kira doesn't yet know your name, it may not be too late if you provide that you're willing to cooperate. Whatever you do, you must not approach Kira out of curiosity. Make no mistake. Kira will kill you if you contact him. You'll be used and disposed of. Consider your own life for a moment. Yours, like every other life, has intrinsic value. Now is your chance to right past wrongs by sharing what you know about Kira. Only you can help us bring his reign of terror to an end," it said.

  
        "I doubt that's gonna stop the second Kira," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Maybe a lot harder than we thought if there is a way," Sakae stated.

  
        "That...make no sense. You should rephrase that," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Liiiiiiiiight!" Sayu called out, knocking on the door.

  
        Light sighed and went over to his bedroom door. He opened it. "What is it?"

  
        "There's a girl here who said she has an important notebook to give you," Sayu said.

  
        Kohaku's widened a bit. " _Could...the second Kira be here at this very moment?"_

  
        " _Notebook? Could it be?"_ Light thought. He looked at Sakae and Kohaku. "I'll be right back." He exited his room and Sayu followed him.

  
        "This is going to be interesting," Sakae commented as she sat down in Light's desk chair.

  
        "Most definitely," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Seems like it's a girl as well. My prediction may be correct after all," Sakae said as she thought.

  
        "Mmm… If Light brings the girl up here, she better not be annoying or a bitch is gonna get slapped." Kohaku laid on Light's bed and stared at the ceiling.

  
        "I would say that's a bad thing; but if she is, you have my blessing," Sakae commented with a small laugh.

  
        Kohaku laughed a little with her. "Awesome."

  
        After about two more minutes, Light entered the room with Misa.

  
        Sakae showed a bright smile when they entered. "Hello!"

  
        Kohaku looked towards Light and Misa. She remained quiet. " _I already don't like her."_

  
        Misa looked towards Light. "Light, who are these girls?" Misa sounded both annoyed and jealous.

  
        "They're friends of mine, ever since high school," Light stated.

  
        "Y-Yea, that's how it's been since the day we met," Sakae said, a little nervous.

  
        "I'll assume you are the second Kira so that means he also forgot to mention that we use to help him out with getting names," Kohaku commented, still laying on the bed.

  
        Misa seemed a little bit surprised at learning that the girls knew of the Death Note. Soon, Light, Sakae, and Kohaku were sitting on the bed while Misa was sitting in Light's desk chair across from them.

  
        "How did you find me?" Light questioned Misa.

  
        "Huh! I knew it! You never made the Shinigami eye deal. When you have the Shinigami eyes like I do, you can see most people's name and lifespan just by looking at them. However, you can't see the lifespan of any person who possesses the death note," Misa replied.

  
        "Huh?" Light questioned.

  
        "Eh? You can?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "That's pretty interesting," Sakae commented.

  
        Light looked towards Ryuk to hear what he had to say on the matter, feeling like it was information that he didn't share.

  
        "No kidding. I had to admit even I wasn't aware of that little detail," Ryuk stated.

  
        "Well, now you've managed to find me. But you are careless. What if you have been caught by the police, then they know everything about Kira," Light said, glaring at Misa.

  
        "It's all right," Misa said. "Because the police didn't catch me. And if I will do as you say from now on, they'll never be able to. So we are safe. After all don't you need someone to see L's name? If you want, I could be your eyes. So…" She looked down at her hands that she had laying on her lap.

  
        "Yeah? So what?" Light questioned.

  
        "Would you please make me your girlfriend?" Misa asked him, staring right at him.

  
        Light was surprised a bit. "Huh? Girlfriend?"

  
        "Yes," Misa said.

  
        "Uh…" Kohaku didn't know how to respond to this. Sakae's eyes went wide a little bit but stayed unusually quiet.

  
        " _If she finds out I'm manipulating her and gets hurt, she'll probably kill me. But still…"_ Light thought. He decided to try and convince her to give up on wanting to date him. "Impossible. The date you and I, and Sakae, were in Aoyama, there were three times the usual number of surveillance cameras around. Anyone who was in Aoyama on the 22nd would definitely be caught on camera. That includes me...and Sakae. If you and I were seen together, it wouldn't look very good. In fact even being here together right now is a problem. I wish you understand that."

  
        "But look. These are pictures of me when I went to Aoyama that day." Misa held up a photo of the disguise she wore the day she spotted Light.

  
        "Well I'm sure no one would recognize her from this," Ryuk commented. Kohaku and Sakae nodded in agreement.

  
        "And what about your fingerprints? All those tapes you sent to the TV station, they all had the same fingerprints on them," Light said.

  
        "Yep, but those aren't my fingerprints. It's not like I do these things without thinking about them first. Up until recently I lived in the Kansai region. And I had this friend who was into the occult. I suggested that we distribute this fake poltergeist video I had made to bunch of different TV shows. Sort of, it was a prank., and she agreed to help me with it. I had her take care of all of the dubbing so my fingerprints wouldn't be on the tapes. Then I took them from her, added the Kira graphic and recorded the message with that voice effect," Misa said.

  
        "Then the friend you made the tapes with, where is she now?" Light questioned.

  
        "Yeah. Where is she?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "Well?" Sakae wondered.

  
        "Why are you doing this to me?!" Misa exclaimed. "If you want me to kill her, just say so!"

  
        " _This bitch is crazy!"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "Holy shit," Sakae whispered as she stared at Misa.

  
        "Hmmm," Light wondered.

  
        "If you really still can't trust me, then here." Misa held out her Death Note. "I'll even let you hold onto my death note. But, you just be holding it. So I'd still be the rightful owner of it and that means I get to keep my shinigami eyes. Isn't that right, Rem?" Misa looked at Rem.

  
        "Yes, that's right," Rem said. Only Misa and Light heard her...and only they could see her.

  
        "Rem?" Kohaku questioned. "Is that the name of your Shinigami?"

  
        "I'm guessing that would be considering we can't see it. And I highly doubt Ryuk will say something about it," Sakae stated.

  
        "Can we see your Shinigami?" Kohaku asked Misa as politely as she could. Misa ignores her. "Guess not."

  
        "Now there's no way I could possibly kill you and if I become a burden to you, then you can just kill me, OK?" Misa said to Light.

  
        Light now had Misa's Death Note in hand. " _Why would she go this far?"_ Light thought as he held the Death Note. He looked from the Death Note and at Misa. "But you might have removed several pages from your death note. You could've be hiding them somewhere for all I know."

  
        Misa stood up. She had tears in her eyes. "Why are you so suspicious of me? I already told you. I don't care even if all you do was to use me. Believe me."

  
        " _This bitch truly is nuts,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        " _I can't believe she'd want to be in an emotionally abusive relationship,"_ Sakae thought, frowning.

  
        "How can you say that?" Light questioned.

  
        Misa dropped to the floor. "Exactly one year ago, my parents were killed in a robbery. I was also home at that time, it happened right in front of me. I wanted that man to pay for what he did. But the trial dragged on forever. Opinion started surfacing that he was being falsely accused. And it happened. Kira punished him for what he did to my parents. And that's why Kira means everything. Kira means everything to me. All I...all I wanted was a chance to meet you one day so I could thank you for what you did." She started to sob.

  
        " _So all these were rational moves. They were just to means for her to meet Kira. Still she got around the surveillance cameras with ease. And managed not to leave her fingerprints on the evidence. She is not as stupid as I thought. And she has promised to obey me from now on_ ," Light thought. He stood up and went over to Misa. He knelt down and hugged her, causing her to gasp. "I understand. The length you went to meet me to be of help to me, those eyes of yours that you sacrificed half your life to get, will become my weapon."

  
        "Thank you so much," Misa said, hugging him back. "I'll try my hardest to make you love me, I promise."

  
        " _Oh great…"_ Kohaku thought. " _Just what we needed… an obsessive bitch."_

  
        Sakae frowned as she stared at Misa and Light hugging. Misa caught her staring and smirked at her as her crying lightened up. Kohaku caught this transaction happening and thought: " _Now I really hate this bitch! I am so gonna knock the shit out of her one day."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Misa is crazy. I really don't like her. Sorry Misa lovers, I hate Misa. Don't hate me for my opinion.
> 
> So Kohaku and L had their first kiss! WOOHOO! There is a site called Sex in Romance and it tells you how to describe things. I used a few for the kiss. O-O Credit goes to that site.
> 
> Looks like Misa isn't gonna let the girls meet Rem. Light can see Rem because he touched Misa's Death Note before he went to his room with her (unseen).


	15. I'm Okay! Really!

        Misa and Light were still hugging on the floor. Kohaku and Sakae watched silently, not sure what to say or what to do.

  
        " _I'll arrange for her to meet L, she'll tell me his name, and then I'll eliminate L and the entire task force. And when that's done, I'll kill her, too. After all, she's the only person who knows Kira's true identity other than Kohaku and Sakae. I can't let her live much longer,_ " Light thought.

  
        "So why can't you pretend to be my boyfriend?" Misa asked.

  
        " _Didn't Light already explained why_?" Kohaku thought. " _If L looks through the survivance cameras on the day that she stopped Light and he sees her, then sees her around Light, he'll put the pieces of the puzzle together and know that Light is Kira...or have the chance that Light is Kira rise. This bitch is crazy. Correction, this bitch is stupid_."

  
        "I don't want to pretend to be in one. It's not really something I would do," Light commented.

  
        Sakae looked back and forth between the two. " _This seems very awkward for some reason_."

  
        Misa dropped the topic for the time being. "Well, now that we've talked, could you show me your Shinigami? I really wanna see him."

  
        " _I need her to trust me so I guess I have to_." Light got off the floor. "Yeah, sure. Could you please turn around?"

  
        "Alright." Misa got back in the desk chair and turned it around.

  
        Light pulled out his wallet and took out a small piece of the Death Note that he had. He lightly tapped Misa's hand with it before he put it away again. "You can turn back, now."

  
        Misa turned and stared at Ryuk.

  
        "Hey there. How's it going?" Ryuk asked.

  
        "Oh, look at that! You are a completely different type of Shinigami than Rem, aren't you? I already know your name. It's Ryuk, right? Nice to meet you," Misa said. She waved at him.

  
        Ryuk waved back. "Yeah. Same here."

  
        "Can we see your Shinigami now, Misa?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "No," Misa said.

  
        "Well then," Kohaku said. " _Someone's being a little bitchy. I'll give her another chance since she is just blinded by...what she thinks is love...but she doesn't have to be such a bitch_."

  
        "Oh and by the way, Light, darling, do you know how to kill a Shinigami?" Misa asked.

  
        "Did you just call me 'darling?'" Light questioned.

  
        "Fine. Do you mind if I call you 'knight' instead? 'Cause you are like my knight of shining armor, you know," Misa said.

  
        Light was visibly annoyed, though Misa didn't seem to notice. "Let's just stick with Light since I am not your boyfriend and I am not pretending to be your boyfriend." How many times did he have to tell her to get the message through her thick skull?

  
        "But why can't we pretend? It's not like you have a girlfriend or anything," Misa said. "L isn't gonna find out about our pretend dating, anyways."

  
        "Light already has a girlfriend," Kohaku lied smoothly.

  
        Light and Sakae stared at Kohaku.

  
        "I do?" Light said, almost as if asking.

  
        "He does?" Sakae looked a bit shocked.

  
        "He...does?" Misa questioned Kohaku, looking at her, frowning.

  
        "He does. He's dating Sakae," she stated with a smirk. She looked at the two. "Right, guys? You two are dating, correct?" Kohaku's mixed emotions of hating Light and caring about him just plain confused her. Why she was trying to help him avoid giving in to Misa's demand that she and Light date was beyond her. She looked back at Misa. "Light didn't tell you earlier because it was suppose to be a secret relationship, despite that it's a very obvious one."

  
        "I...I guess?" Sakae commented nervously.

  
        "I see." Light stared between his two friends. He smiled a little. "That would be correct. Sakae and I are in a relationship." Funny how he said he didn't want to pretend to be in a relationship earlier and is now pretending to be dating Sakae.

  
        Sakae's eyes widen in surprise. " _He'd actually go along with it?!_ "

  
        " _I can't believe Light went along with this. He owes me one. Maybe I can ask him to kill Misa so Light can have a harder time trying to kill L_ ," Kohaku thought.

  
        Misa frowned, clearly very upset about the news. She was believing the lie, but not completely; she isn't that stupid...right? "You two...really are dating…?" She thought for a moment. "...Prove it."

  
        "How exactly can they do that?" Kohaku asked. "They can't exactly go on a date this late."

  
        "I want to see them kiss." Misa crossed her arms. "If they don't, then I don't see why Light and I can't pretend to date." In other words, if they didn't kiss, Misa would know that they, Light and Kohaku, were lying.

  
        Sakae went silent. " _Uh oh…_ " She thought.

  
        Light lightly pulled Sakae up from where she was sitting. When Sakae looked up at him, he caught her lips in a kiss. Reflexively, Sakae tried to pull away but remember what was going on and calmed down. Light wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Going with the act, Sakae wrapped her arms around Light's neck. After a few seconds, Sakae pulled away but Light kept her close for a second and let out a small sigh.

  
        "Proof enough, Misa?" Sakae asked, looking at the girl.

  
        "You two really are dating… I'm sorry for bugging you…" Misa mumbled, very upset now. She wanted to be with Light; actually, she wanted to be with Kira since she loved Kira for killing the criminal that killed her parents. Though she really wants to be with Light/Kira, she didn't want to steal him from another girl; she wasn't that kind of person.

  
        Kohaku smiled a little. " _I wonder if they'll actually start dating after this shit_." Kohaku looked at Misa. "Hey." She got off the bed and went over to Misa. She patted her shoulder and half smiled. "You'll find a guy that is way better than Light and maybe even a lot more handsomer than Light. You can still be good friends with Light, though, if that will be good enough for you. And I don't mind trying to be friends with you, as long as you stop being...rude towards me just because I am around Light. Same thing for your behavior towards Sakae. Just cause they are dating, doesn't mean you need to be… rude to her. Try to be a little nicer, okay?" Instead of rude, she really wanted to say bitch, but felt like that would just make Misa hate her...or dislike her more than she already automatically did due to her friendship with Light. Misa stared at her, unsure.

  
        "We'd still love to be friends with you," Sakae said with a smile.

  
        "R-Really?" Misa asked. She had been rude, or bitchy in Kohaku's opinion, to the girls since she got there and they still wanted to be friends with her? Odd.

  
        "Yea!" Sakae said.

  
        "Totally. Just...don't expect me to always be this nice. I can be a total bitch when I am angered… " Kohaku admitted. " _Like with the fact that you want to use your eyes to get L's name so that Light can kill him. That really pisses me off; can't Light let me be happy just this once_?"

  
        Misa smiled a little, pushing aside her jealousy towards Sakae's 'relationship' with Light for now. "That's okay. I'd love to be friends."

  
        "Now, is it finally okay for Sakae and I to touch your Death Note so we can see Rem?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "...I guess," Misa hesitated.

  
        "Awesome!" Kohaku cheered.

  
        "Cool!" Sakae said with a smile.

  
        Light picked up Misa's Death Note that he had placed on the bed earlier when he went to hug Misa and held it out towards the girls. The girls touched the Death Note and looked at Rem for the first time. Rem's appearance was very...skeletal, with long, spinal cord-ish like arms and bone-ish like skin. Her hair and markings on her face were purple.

  
        "Woah… She, uh, he, erm, it looks awesome!" Kohaku said, unsure what gender Rem was.

  
        "Wow…" Sakae mumbled, surprised slightly. Light nodded in agreement with the two statements.

* * *

        At the hotel, L and the task force were speaking. L was squatting in a chair and Aizawa, Matsuda, and Mr. Yagami were standing behind him. L was going through some footage.

  
        "So were you actually planning to check all of the footage we got from Aoyama on the 22nd by yourself?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "That's right. I think it's very likely that Kira and the second Kira made contact each other there on that day. So I wanted to check all these tapes personally," L said. "Also, Mr. Yagami?"

  
        "Oh, yes?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Please ask Mr. Mogi to start following Light so we can keep tabs on what he's doing," L said, his eyes ever leaving the TV screen.

  
        "You want him followed?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "It's only a slim chance, but if Light is Kira, then there's still the possibility that the second might try to contact him somehow," L stated.

  
        "Very well," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I'm starting to wonder if Ryuzaki is even human," Aizawa mumbled to Matsuda. "The guy never sleeps."

  
        "I saw him sleeping in that exact same position the other day," Matsuda stated.

  
        "Huh," Aizawa responded.

  
        "No. I'm serious," Matsuda said as L took a bit of a snack he had.

* * *

        Back in Light's room, Light, Sakae, and Kohaku are back to sitting on Light's bed. Misa had just told them how to kill a Shinigami.

  
        "So, if a Shinigami has feelings for a human and kill someone else in order to extend the human's life beyond its natural end, the Shinigami will die?" Light questioned.

  
        "That's right," Misa stated.

  
        "That's kind of a… nice way to die, I suppose," Kohaku said. "The Shinigami is pretty much sacrificing his or her own life to both save and add more life to the human they fell in love with. To me, it sounds like a good way to die."

  
        Sakae nodded in agreement. "The only thing I would worry about is how long the human would live. Hundreds of years beyond their normal time? A little scary."

  
        "Hmm...for some people, maybe," Light commented.

  
        "Hahaha. Good luck trying to find the Shinigami who'd volunteer to do that," Ryuk stated.

  
        "That's true," Light stated, glancing over at Ryuk. "I can't see you ever doing that." Kohaku snickered. Light looked at Misa again. "By the way, where did you send all those tapes from, the ones that went to the TV stations?"

  
        "Let's see. Osaka the first time, then Tokyo, this other one from Nagano. I took the bullet train every time so that way the police couldn't pinpoint my location," Misa said.

  
        "All right. One more thing. Do you still have the video tapes and envelopes with your friend's fingerprints on?" Light asked.

  
        "Uh huh." Misa nodded.

  
        Light stood up. "Well you'll have to dispose everything that was used to create those videotapes, understand? But before you do, I need you to send one last video and make sure it's from a place you haven't used yet. It should say, 'I've decided to stop searching for Kira. And I'd like to thank the police department for all of its advice. However, I still plan to help Kira in his mission. And I hope that in time he'll come to see me as an ally. I will start by punishing criminals that Kira has yet to judge. Also, I'll share my power with others who I feel worthy and I will encourage them to do the same. Together we'll make this world a better place.'"

  
        Sakae and Kohaku watched and listened in silence.

  
        "Share my power?" Misa questioned.

  
        "We'll just add that part to throw off their investigation. They suspect that there are already two people with this power, so wouldn't be a stretch to assume there could be others. And if they believe the numbers are growing, then they'll start to panic. Can you do this?" Light asked.

  
        "No need to ask. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. I don't care what it is, 'cause I do anything for you," Misa said, smiling.

  
        "There's one more thing which is very important," Light said.

  
        "What's that?" Misa questioned.

  
        "If you get arrested by the police, or if you're ever brought in for questioning, you can never mention anything about any of us or the Death Note. As long as they don't get a hold of that notebook, there's no proof you did anything. Can you promise to say nothing?" Light questioned her.

  
        "I promise," Misa said.

  
        "You know, L already suspects Light as Kira. Ain't he smart?" Kohaku smiled.

  
        "No way! L is amazing! I mean, everyone's been saying that he is getting nowhere with the investigation and that he is completely idiot and stuff. But he already knows that much?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Anyway, it all worked out well for me. Because thanks to that, I've also been able to get close to L," Light stated.

  
        "And now my mood is beginning to move south," Kohaku commented. She had a feeling that this time, she wouldn't be able to hold back her anger if Light or Misa mentioned getting rid of L. She could feel it coming. Only a matter of time…

  
        "It may not be a good idea to mention stuff like that," Sakae stated, looking at both Light and Misa.

  
        Misa and Light continued to speak to each other, paying no mind to the girls.

  
        "You and L are in contact with each other? Then that's even more amazing! This is getting so exciting!" Misa cheered.

  
        "Even though he suspects I'm Kira, L figures he's safe as long as I don't know his real name. He came right out and told me who he was just to get to me. However, he's only focusing on me because he has no other suspects and he has no evidence. At this moment, I'm working with him on the case, and little by little, I'm winning his trust," Light stated.

  
        Kohaku clenched her fists. Sakae gripped Kohaku's left arm. Kohaku looked at her. Sakae shook her head and mouthed: "Calm down."

  
        "Great! So all you have to do is take me to where L is and I can see his real name for you," Misa said with another smile on her face. That statement only made Kohaku clench her teeth in worry while her fists remained clenched from anger.

  
        " _They better shut the hell up. I don't see why the fuck I am neutral with all this shit. I need to choose a side and stick to it_!" Kohaku thought.

  
        Light explained. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Listen, it was difficult enough for me to get close to him. Besides, if all of a sudden someone I just met gets too close and at the same time the police detect changes in Kira or the second Kira's behavior, that person would be suspected of being the second Kira. And of course that'll put me under even greater suspicion. We can't allow them to make that connection, which means we can't appear to be too close to each other. Do you understand what I was saying?"

  
        "I think so," Misa stated.

  
        "We need to take the time now to come up with a good plan. Some way that you can see L without letting him know you exist," Light stated.

  
        "What are we, chopped liver?" Sakae questioned, staring at Light and Misa still. The two seemed to be too busy talking to each other and were paying her and Kohaku no mind. They still continued to do so.

  
        "I am about to blow a gasket," Kohaku whispered.

  
        "I can't eliminate L without you. I'll call you and see you as often as this situation allows," Light said.

  
        "That's it!" Kohaku stood up. "I'm tired of just sitting here and listening to you two go on and on about how you are going to kill L!" She glared at Light. "Why can't you let me be happy?! I love L and I love being around him! He is as strange and different as I am, maybe more, which is why I am so fond of him, but you just can't accept that because he is a detective that is trying to stop you and all you care about is creating your new fucking world!"

  
        "Oh shit…" Sakae mumbled.

  
        "Because him finding out who I am would spell my death. I don't plan on dying anytime soon," Light said.

  
        "Fuck you, Light! While you're at it, why don't you just write my fucking name too?!" Kohaku exclaimed, pushing him.

  
        "Why the fuck would I do that?!" Light said while regaining his balance. "I still consider you a friend, though you may not consider me one!"

  
        "You are a jackass! Of course I don't consider you a friend! Not anymore, anyways! You wanna know something, Light?! Even if you do kill L, and I am dying along with him rather you want me to or not, someone will eventually figure out that you are Kira and they will end you!" Kohaku exclaimed. She looked at Sakae. "You have to agree with me on this, right Sakae?!"

  
        "I-" Sakae started to say but was interrupted.

  
        "She doesn't have to agree with you on anything!" Light shouted back.

  
        " _Oh shit...This is not going to end well_." Sakae sighed slightly. "I...I kind of agree with...Kohaku."

  
        "See! She do- Wait...what did you say, Sakae?" Light looked over at her, confused.

  
        "I agree with her. Though I don't wish for it to happen, someday you may mess up and make a huge mistake. I'm sorry…" She looked down at her feet, the tense air crushing in on her.

  
        "But...I thought...after all we've…" Light stood dumbfounded, feeling betrayed a little.

  
        "You actually thought that because she has been spending more time with you then me that she'd actually side with you?!" Kohaku exclaimed. "Keep dreaming buddy!"

  
        "C-Can we stop please?" Sakae asked.

  
        "I don't see why she freaking wouldn't?" Light said, confused.

  
        "You love L?" Misa suddenly questioned Kohaku causing the three friends to look at her. She looked at Light. "I can't help you kill someone she loves… That's just wrong…"

  
        "If you don't obey me, I can easily kill you," Light threatened. He glared at her a little.

  
        "I would never allow that, Light Yagami," Rem stated, speaking for the first time. They all looked at her. "If you do anything that results in this girl's death, the first thing I'll do is write your name in my Death Note. I will kill you. I'm sure you realize that I can see her lifespan. If she happens to die before that time, I'll know it was you who killed her."

  
        "But if you were to use your death note to save her, wouldn't that mean you'd die, too?" Light questioned.

  
        Misa seemed a little panicked at the thought. "That's right. If you tried to save me, you would die, too."

  
        "Yes, you are correct but I'm quite willing to accept that outcome," Rem stated.

  
        " _Is this Shinigami serious? This is crazy_ ," Light thought.

  
        "I-I'll help you, Light," Misa stuttered. " _I don't want Light or Rem to die just because I don't want to take away... Kohaku's loved one_ …"

  
        Light smirked. "I'm glad you see it my way."

  
        "See it your way, my ass! She is obviously only going to help you so you and Rem don't die!" Kohaku headed to the balcony. "I'm leaving! I can't stand being near you any longer, Light!" She parkoured off the balcony and took off running away from the house.

  
        "Kohaku!" Sakae called out, running out onto the balcony.

  
        "Good riddance to her," Light muttered as he stared down at the Death Note.

  
        "Light," Sakae said as she turned back to him. "Look at what you've done! Your selfishness has drove away one of the only true friends you've had. And if you're not careful...it may drive me away," Sakae confessed before picking up her bag and leaving.

  
        "Light?"

  
        Light and Misa turned to see that Mrs. Yagami had walked into the room. She seemed to be a little worried.

  
        "Where's Kohaku and why did Sakae look upset? Did something happen?" she asked.

  
        "They… needed to get home," Light lied. "Didn't want their guardians to worry…"

  
        "Oh. It is getting late." Mrs. Yagami looked at Misa.

  
        "I was just about to leave," Misa said, half-smiling. "Such a lovely home."

  
        Mrs. Yagami smiled a little. "Thank you."

  
        "I'm really sorry for coming over so late at night. See you later, Light," Misa said, bowing a little before she followed Mrs. Yagami out of the room.

* * *

        It's evening of the next day. Light entered L's hotel room. L is squatting in yet another chair and Mr. Yagami, Sakae, and Kohaku are standing by him. Matsuda and Aizawa are standing close by.

  
        "Hello," Light said to them. He looked towards Kohaku. She walked away, leaving just the four of them (L, Sakae, Light, and Mr. Yagami), plus Matsuda and Aizawa.

  
        Sakae sighed and frowned, shaking her head lightly. L and Mr. Yagami gave Sakae a questioning look but she gave them a small smile, revealing nothing about what was going on.

  
        L turned his head to look at Light. "Your timing couldn't be better. We just received a new video message from the second Kira."

  
        "Wow, that didn't take long," Light said. He headed over to L, Sakae, and his dad.

  
        "Yes. I believe it's the last one. Well, take a look at this," L said. He looked back at the TV and pressed a button on the remote in his hand.

  
        "I decided to stop searching for Kira and I'd like to thank the police department for their advice. However, I still plan to help Kira in his mission and I hope that, in time, he'll come to see me as an ally. I will start by punishing criminals that Kira has yet to judge. Also, I will share my power with others who I feel are worthy and I will encourage them to do the same. Together, we'll make this world a better place," the tape said.

  
        L turned the TV off. "After watching this, I can only think that Kira and the second Kira have managed to make contact."

  
        Light stared at L. "What makes you say that?"

  
        L looked back at Light. "Oh, Come on. Didn't you sense it? I was sure you'd come to the same conclusion I did after watching this once through." He took a bite out of his snack and started talking with his mouth full. "First consider how determined he was to meet Kira, so why the sudden change of heart? Now he wants to punish criminals that Kira hasn't? All he wants out of it was Kira to see him as an alley? The biggest question, why didn't he do this to begin with? I'm guessing it's because he never thought that beforehand. He probably met Kira and was told which criminals he'd be allowed to judge. I suspect the purpose of this message is to hide the fact that they met." He finished up his snack.

  
        "A good conclusion and strong possibility," Sakae commented.

  
        "I see. What I find really strange is that it's unlike Kira to be so careless," Light said.

  
        "That's true," L said. He licked his fingers clean. "But I would believe that Kira made a mistake this time or this is a way of letting us know they made contact. It would be an effective means of provoking us. The idea of their union is very threatening. However, this is also one less reason to suspect that Light is Kira."

  
        Mr. Yagami gasped a bit. "Ryuzaki, what do you mean by that?"

  
        Sakae looked at him. "Huh?"

  
        "If Light is Kira, I don't think this is the message he would have had the second Kira send us. It doesn't fit. He would made the second Kira go through with his plan to have me appear on TV, then deny they had ever made contact, letting the second Kira shoulder the blame for my death. He'd make him say something like…" L picked up a doughnut and licked some of the chocolate that was on it. "'Although I agree not to go through with this, I have come to realize that it was not Kira's true intention that I stop. I'm positive that the real Kira would want L to die. There's no way he'd make me stop.'"

  
        "Ryuzaki," Light said.

  
        "Yes, Light?" L questioned, licking his doughnut more.

  
        "I think you are mistaken. I would never do that if I were Kira," Light stated.

  
        "Why not?" L questioned.

  
        "Well, if you are L and I'm Kira, then I'd already know your personality pretty well. L would never agree to appear on TV no matter what threat he was facing and he wouldn't allow someone else to die in his place. The L I know would find some way to escape the situation," Light said.

  
        L turned to him again, grinning a little. "So, you figured it out."

  
        "Look, Light. You've got to stop that. I don't like hearing you say, 'If I were Kira,' even hypothetically," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Oh. I'm sorry, Dad," Light said. "I just wanted to let Ryuzaki know exactly what I thought of his plan. I posed that scenario because I wanna help solve this case, It's the only chance I have to clear my name. Besides, the only reason I feel comfortable saying things like that is because I'm not really Kira."

  
        "Interesting…" Sakae muttered to herself.

  
        "That's a good point. You are not Kira. That is, it will be a problem if you were Kira. Because...I feel you are one the first few friends that I've ever had." L sipped his coffee.

  
        "Wow," Ryuk said.

  
        "Y-yeah. I know what you mean. The two of us have a lot in common," Light said.

  
        "Thank you," L said.

  
        "And I have missed having you around at school. We should play tennis again, soon," Light said.

  
        "Yes, we should," L said.

  
        Sakae smiled a little bit as she looked at the exchanged between the two. "Aww…" She mumbled quietly.

  
        L stood up from his chair and headed towards the other side of the room. Kohaku was sitting on a couch normally and not her usual way.

  
        "Kohaku, you haven't spoken at all today. Is something the matter?" L asked worriedly. He squatting beside her on the couch and stared at her with concerned eyes. "You don't normally sit this way." Kohaku didn't answer. She just avoided eye contact and stared at the floor. L made her look at him. "Tell me what's wrong."

  
        "I'm okay! Really!" Kohaku exclaimed.

  
        "You certainly are not okay," L stated. "You didn't speak to me, Sakae, or anyone else all day long. Did something happen that made you upset? Please tell me. I want to try and help you if I can."

  
        "You can't help me. It is something I must deal with alone." Kohaku looked at him and leaned towards him, placing her lips on his for a few seconds. She is completely unaware of the little audience they have. She pulled away. "See ya tomorrow, L." She stood up and walked away.

  
        L sighed. Light and Sakae had watched from a distance.

  
        " _That was the cutest kiss I ever saw_ ," Sakae thought. She half-smiled. "Something tells me that wasn't the first time they kissed~"

  
        "I guess so," Light as he watched L.

  
        "You okay, Light? Sakae asked as she looked up at him.

  
        "I…I'm sorry about yesterday; about forcing you into some pretend relationship, then the kiss, then…the stuff with Kohaku." Light scratched the back of his head as he looked at Sakae.

  
        "It's fine. I don't want to take either side, honestly. That argument is between you and Kohaku. I still do agree with her," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "I understand," Light said.

  
        "Hmm?" Sakae looked at Light with an eyebrow raised.

  
        Light pulled Sakae into a small hug. " _At the very least, I know_ …"

  
        Sakae laughed a little and returned the hug. "Light, you sure are strange one." She said while pulling away. "It's getting late. See you later?"

  
        Light nodded. "Yea."

  
        Sakae smiled. "See ya later, Light. Have a good evening!" She said as she walked from the room.

* * *

        Light is walking home. Ryuk is flying behind him.

  
        "A friend! He is your friend? That's a good thing, isn't it, Light?" Ryuk questioned.

  
        "That damn Ryuzaki had no problem figuring out Kira and the second Kira had made contact each other. I've got to eliminate him right away," Light stated.

  
        "I see. So you don't mind that your friend will be really mad at you if he dies?" Ryuk questioned.

  
        "I do mind a little, but sacrifices need to made to make the world a better place. With L gone, I'll be a step closer to making my new world," Light said. " _The way things are progressing, I can't afford to be seen with Misa_."

  
        "LIGHT!" Misa called out. Light turned and Misa tackles him to the ground. Light grunted as his back hit the ground.

  
        Misa started to speak really fast from excitement. "Sorry, but I really want to see you! I was just on my way to your house when I spotted you!"

  
        " _This is the first time in my life that I've been provoked to hit a woman_ ," Light thought. " _Actually, I've been provoked to hit Kohaku many times but she doesn't exactly count as a woman since she acts more like a man_."

  
        "Don't be mad. I just really wanted to see you…" Misa got off him.

  
        "Well, you might as well come over," Light said as he got up.

  
        "Yay!" Misa cheered.

  
        The two walked to Light's house. Once there and having spoken to Mrs. Yagami and Sayu, Light and Misa went to Light's bedroom. Rem and Ryuk were in there with them.

  
        "Rem," Light said.

  
        "Huh?" Rem wondered.

  
        "You are Misa's ally, aren't you?" Light questioned. Did he not remember what happened the day before when Rem threatened to kill him? Was it not obvious that she was Misa's ally? Apparently not.

  
        "Yes. I'd seen her many times from the Shinigami realm and then certain events made me develop feelings for her," Rem stated.

  
        "Feelings? But you are a Shinigami! Hahahaha," Ryuk commented.

  
        Rem ignored Ryuk and stared at Light. "You don't like what I said before about how I'd kill you if you even attempted to kill Misa."

  
        "So, if Misa is happy, does that mean you'll be happy as well?" Light questioned. He was getting an idea. Although Misa had agreed to help Light kill L despite not wanting to kill Kohaku's loved one, Light rather get the Shinigami to do it; perhaps so he could get rid of her somehow?

  
        "I suppose you could say that. I definitely don't want her to suffer," Rem said.

  
        "As you know, Misa loves me." Light pulled Misa to him.

  
        "Oh, Light." Misa started to blush. Did she seriously forget that Light is "dating" Sakae? Do any of them even fully remember what happened the day before? Probably, but right now, they don't seem to remember at all. It seems they were just simply acting like that day didn't happen.

  
        "Misa," Light said in a slightly seductive voice.

  
        "Yes?" Misa asked, still blushing. She stared at Light.

  
        "If I was happy, would that make you happy, too?" Light questioned her.

  
        "Yes," Misa stated immediately. Ryuk laughed.

  
        "Then, could you ask Rem to kill L?" Light asked Misa.

  
        "Huh?" Ryuk questioned, tilting his head a bit.

  
        "Rem said your happiness was important, but what do you think would happen if L caught one of us? It means our happiness would be ruined," Light said.

  
        "Hahaha. It's true that the Shinigami are forbidden to give other person's name to anyone, but then again, there's no rule that prevents Rem from killing anyone," Ryuk said.

  
        "That's right and if you agreed to kill L, it would only make me love Misa that much more. Plus I'd be grateful to you. Most importantly, the two of us will be happy together once I am not dating Sakae," Light said. " _I almost forgot that I was pretending to date Sakae. I rather be dating Sakae than being forced to date this idiot… Also, I need to keep up with my lies; This is out of character for me._ "

  
        Misa looked at Rem pleadingly. "Rem, I want Light to love me and I know we could be happy together. It's all I have ever wanted." Welp, there goes not wanting to steal someone from another girl.

  
        " _She only just met me yesterday and she wants to be with me forever? Yeah, I rather be dating Sakae than her_ ," Light thought.

  
        "Fine. As you wish, Light Yagami, but I do not like you. This will not kill me even if it ends up lengthening your life. I will kill L for you. It really makes no difference. He's just another human to me," Rem stated.

  
        "Hooray!" Misa cheered. She went over to Rem and hugged her. "Oh, Rem! Thank you so much! I knew I can count on you!"

  
        " _L will die… That's all it took…_ " Light thought. Kohaku suddenly crossed his mind. " _Was she serious about wanting to die along with L? Did she really want her name written in the Death Note? She was being too hasty. No, she was just plain pissed off at me for wanting her...lover dead, which makes a lot of sense… But, if she really wants to die and I don't write her name down, will she end up killing herself instead? ...Why do I even care?! She doesn't consider me a friend anymore and she pisses me off a lot! I shouldn't even consider her a friend myself!_ " Sakae then crossed his thoughts again. " _Sakae… She'd be upset if Kohaku died… Should I wait on wanting to kill L so that Kohaku can have a bit more time with being happy with him...?_ " Light stared into space while Misa continued to hug Rem.

  
        Light, Light, Light. What a predicament you are in...


	16. Arrested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misa is arrested?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter of this whole fanfic.

        Light stood staring at Rem. Misa was no longer hugging Rem and was standing a little ways from her.  
  
        “So when should I kill him? If you take me to where he is, I can kill him immediately,” Rem said.  
  
        “The sooner, the better. Maybe tomorrow. I should think this through before we do anything. I need tonight to decide how I'm going to kill L. I'll give you my answer tomorrow,” Light stated.  
  
        “Very well,” Rem said.  
  
        “Also, no matter what, you can't kill him until I give the order. No matter what, understood?” Light questioned.  
  
        “All right. I promise you that, at least where L is concerned,” Rem said.  
  
        “Misa, I need you to give your cellphone number,” Light said, looking at her.  
  
        “About time!” Misa exclaimed happily. “What took you so long? Give me yours, too, okay?”  
  
        “No, Misa. I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Light stated.  
  
        “Why not?!” Misa exclaimed, pouting now.  
  
        “I already told you I'm under surveillance by the police. Keep in mind it's not difficult for them to bug even cellphones these days,” Light said.  
  
        “Ohh… Okay then. What about this?” Misa dug in her purse and pulled out a phone. “I'll just give you one of my phones. I ended up with three of them. 'Cause I use them for different things.”  
  
        Light took the phone and smiled a little bit. “Yeah, good idea. If I use yours, I think we’ll be safe.”  
  
        “That's great! I can hear your voice every day and text you, too,” Misa said.  
  
        “No. I'll keep this one turned off. I'll be the only one making the calls and only when it's absolutely necessary,” Light said, frowning now. If only Misa would shut up...  
  
        “What? No way. Then when are you gonna call me?” Misa questioned.  
  
        “Probably tomorrow, that would most likely be the day we execute L, but I can call you either way,” Light said.  
  
        Misa pouted slightly. “Okay.”  
  
        Light looked at the time. “You should probably go home now, Misa.”  
  
        “Huh? But why? It's only 7 o'clock,” Misa whined.  
  
        “We can’t risk anything. Please leave,” Light said.  
  
        Misa sighed. “Okay.”  
  
        “Also when you're talking to Rem outside, be careful that no one's around to listen. Just whisper. That's what I always do with Ryuk,” Light informed her.  
  
        “Okay. Have a good night.” Misa exited his room and left his house after saying goodbye to Light’s mother and sister.  
  
        “Well, that was something,” Ryuk commented.  
  
        “Sure. It's very important that Misa stays infatuated with me,” Light stated.  
  
        “Ah,” Ryuk said.  
  
        “More importantly, I need to decide if L should die tomorrow,” Light said. “Since he hasn't gone public yet, if Ryuga dies, the other task force members will be suspicious of me. So I have to make sure I'm prepared.”  
  
        “I see,” Ryuk said. “I thought perhaps you were hesitating because he said he thinks of you as a friend or because one of those girls you hang out with likes him.”  
  
        “Haha, a friend? I just gave him what he wanted. From the start, I've said, if it's my friendship he wants, I’ll give it to him as a way to win his trust. Ryuga and Light Yagami appear to be friends, but L is Kira's enemy,” Light said. “ _That's right. Ryuga revealed that he is L. Therefore, he must die. If I have him die in an accident, chances are the less people will suspect I'm Kira and even if they do, there'll be no proof. I can only speculate what'll happen after he dies. Tomorrow will be L's, or at least Ryuga and Ryuzaki's last day alive._ ”  
  
        Light felt his phone vibrate and he took it out of his pocket. He flipped it open and found himself nearly facepalming as he stared at the message on the screen with wide eyes.  
  
        Ryuk tilted his head. “What is it?”  
  
        “Damn it!” Light exclaimed. “How could I forget?!”  
  
        “Hm?” Ryuk questioned.  
  
        “Sakae’s birthday is tomorrow! I can’t kill L on her birthday! It has to be a fun day for her! If L dies tomorrow, she’ll know I caused it and she’ll be upset because of it ruining Kohaku’s happiness and whatever,” Light said. “ _I don’t want her to have a bad birthday_.”  
  
        “Sounds like you have a predicament on your hands,” Ryuk commented.  
  
        “Shut up!” Light exclaimed. “Oh man! I gotta get her a present! I’ll have to rush to buy her something tomorrow! Damn it! I can’t believe I forgot something so important!” He was mentally slapping himself for forgetting such a thing. He was gonna have some trouble sleeping with the thought of forgetting Sakae’s birthday on his mind...

* * *

        An alarm beeping sounded throughout the room. Sakae rolled over and hit the snooze button before staring at the red numbers on the clock. “9:00 a.m.,” she mumbled to herself. “It’s…a new day. No…” Sakae leaned up from her bed. “It’s…that day.”  
  
        She laid in her bed. “Happy birthday,” Sakae whispered to herself as she hid her face in the pillow, tears rolling down her face. Today…was that day…as well.   
  
        A knock on her door made her look over at it. Ryuichi stood in the doorway looking at his younger sister’s red, puffy face. A frown crossed his features as he stared at her. Sakae turned back to her bed. “What?”  
  
        “I know why you are sad, Sakae. But…today’s your 18th birthday. Can’t you feel some excitement?” Ryuichi asked as he began to walk towards his crying sister. He received no answer as the crying continued. The bed creaked as he sat the edge and pat his sister’s back. “Sakae…”  
  
        “I hate this day. T-They died…they died because of me,” Sakae said between sobs.  
  
        “Sakae, it isn’t your fault our parents died. They died trying to protect you. I’m sure they wouldn’t have to die any other way.” Ryuichi pulled Sakae from her crying position, pulling her into a hug and began to rock her back and forth. “Go ahead. I know you’ve been holding it in as you do every year.”  
  
        Sakae cried even harder. It seemed hard to imagine that such a sweet girl was capable of crying this much. Water stains began to appear on Ryuichi’s shirt but he didn’t budge an inch. His sister…felt a pain greater than he ever felt before. Watching your parents die in front of you then…dealing with the pain that came after. The little innocent Sakae he had once known had been ripped away in one single night.  
  
        “ _Give me the girl!_ ” A distant memory played in the back of Sakae’s mind as she remembered the moment her parents died, protecting her from the intruder who broke into their house. “ _Hide Sakae! He can’t find her!_ ” She had heard her father yell as someone banged on the door. “ _Momma! Daddy!_ ” An young 12-year-old dealt with a burden of what was witnessing a murder.  
  
        After some time, the crying began to calm down. Sakae broke away from her brother and wiped her face of tears. “Feeling better?” Ryuichi asked and received a nod in response. Sakae was surprised when her brother picked her up princess style and carried her into the small living room. He set her down in front of the table where a small birthday cake was set out. Nothing extravagant; the cake was about the size of small tablet with roses adorning one side and a ‘Happy Birthday’ decorating the other. “Happy birthday, my baby sister,” Ryuichi teased with a smile. Sakae gave him a small smile but remained quiet. “Sakae, you have to let it go. Everything is fine now.”  
  
        “I know,” Sakae said softly as she stared down at the birthday cake her brother got for her. “Thank you, Ryu.” The young girl pulled her older brother into a tight hug. Ryuichi hugged his sister tightly. Being an older brother, the instinct to protect was engraved into his mind.  
“You’re welcome, Sakae. Remember,” He pulled his little sister from the hug. “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you.”  
  
        A smile appeared across Sakae’s lips. “Thanks.” Picking up the knife that was next to the cake, she turned to her older brother. “Shall we enjoy some cake?”  
  
        “We shall, just as long as you put the knife down,” Ryuichi stated.  
  
        “Then how will I cut the cake?!” Sakae exclaimed. The two joked slightly for the rest of the morning as they enjoyed the cake.  
  
        Afternoon soon came around; Sakae sat in her room, on her laptop studying for an upcoming test in one of her classes. “It’ll take two electrons to equalize this atom, but then I have to configure how many atoms are needed to finish off this equation. Gosh dang it,” Sakae cursed slightly, putting the laptop on the bed. Looking over at her alarm, the red numbers read five thirty six. “How long have I been doing this?” She asked herself. Picking up her now closed laptop, Sakae walked into the living room where she found her brother and Light, who was in a semi-formal tux kind of attire, sitting on the couch and talking. “Huh?”  
  
        “Hey, Sakae. Your boyfriend’s here to see ya,” Ryuichi joked; only get a pillow thrown at him. Instead of hitting him, it instead hit Light in the back of the head. Light turned and glared at Sakae who stood with her hand covering her mouth to keep from laughing. “Violent, aren’t we?”  
  
        “If you didn’t want me to come, then you could have just said something,” Light stated as he turned to Sakae, who was still trying to keep from laughing.  
  
        Sakae smiled at the two guys sitting on the couch. “I’m sorry, Light. I didn’t know you were coming.” She walked over to the table and placed her laptop on it. “What are you doing here anyway?” She asked.  
  
        “I wanted to take you out for you birthday,” Light said, to much of the surprise of the girl standing at the table.  
  
        “Of course, the older brother had to make sure that he was fit to date the younger sister. I don’t know if he passed the test just yet. I’m still suspicious of him,” Ryuichi commented, staring at Light with an almost glaring look.  
  
        “Y-Yea. So,” Light looked at Sakae for a small moment. “Do you want to go?”  
  
        “Yea, just give me a few minutes to get ready,” Sakae said, running to her room.  
  
        Ryuichi continued to stare at Light as they sat waiting for Sakae to come out from her room. Light tried to ignore the older brother but failed to no avail. “What?” Light finally said, breaking the silence.  
  
        “Hurt my sister and I’ll hurt you,” Ryuichi said before getting up and going to the kitchen.  
  
        “I’d never want to hurt her,” Light confessed, following Ryuichi. “Sakae, she…”  
  
        “Be careful about today,” Ryuichi said while picking up a knife. “Even though it’s her birthday, the day is very sensitive to her.”  
  
        Light looked confused at what Ryuichi just said. He was about to ask what he meant when Sakae walked into the kitchen. She was wearing a semi-formal white dress that came down to mid-thigh and was held a sleeve on her left shoulder. A shawl type accessory covered the top half of Sakae’s chest, coming down at an angle with a gold flower decorating the top of the covering. She wore small heels that sparkled silver. Her hair was held back in a high ponytail. “Is this okay?” The two men stopped gawking at Sakae and looked up at her.  
  
        “When did you get that dress?” Ryuichi said, surprised by his younger sister.  
  
        “It…it was Mom’s. She gave it to me when I was younger. I thought it was perfect for today,” Sakae confessed, holding back some emotions. “A-Anyway, I’m ready to go!”  
  
        “Huh?” Light looked up at Sakae, slightly embarrassed. “Yea, let’s go.” He said while scratching the back of his head.  
  
        As they walked out the door, Ryuichi yelled from the kitchen. “Have her back by ten!”  
  
        “I shall,” Light yelled back before shouting the door with a small sigh of relieve. “Thank god.”  
  
        “What was that all about?” Sakae asked, confused by the sigh of relieve Light just let out.  
  
        “Your brother,” Light started. “Ever since I got here, he’s been on my back. And for the first time, I actually felt nervous about it.”  
  
        A small laughed escape from Sakae. “That’s right. A ladies man such as yourself would be phased by something such as an over protective family member. Unlucky for you, Ryu is pretty tough and strict when it comes to me.”  
  
        “I can tell,” Light said as the talk walked down the street to where he was taking here.  
  
        “So, where are we going?” Sakae asked.  
  
        “I’m going to take you to dinner then if there is enough time left, a little surprise,” Light said.  
  
        “What restaurant?” Sakae asked.  
  
        “You shall see,” Light said with a grin.  
  
        The two soon stopped in front of a formal Italian restaurant. Light led Sakae into the restaurant where a host stood waiting for them. “May I help you?” The host said when the two got up to them.  
  
        “Reservation for Yagami,” Light said. Quickly skimming the book in front of him, the host nodded to them and led them to a booth in the middle of the restaurant. “What do you think?” Light asked as they slid into the booth.  
  
        “Fancy but why here? I’m sure this place is plenty expensive,” Sakae said.  
  
        “I know how much you like Italian food,” Light said looking over a menu in front of him. “And it doesn’t matter the price. I wanted today to be special for you.”  
  
        “Aww, Light.” Sakae smiled a little then the glanced over her menu. “There’s so much you could get,” she commented to herself. “Perhaps.” She noticed a picture of pasta noodle sprinkled with vodka sauce and cheese on top. Small vegetables were scattered around the dish. “I think…I’ll get this.”  
  
        “What would that be?” Light asked, looking up from the menu.  
  
        “Vodka cream pasta with Italian sausage,” Sakae answered back.  
  
        A waiter came up the table. “Welcome, sir, madam. May I take your order? Anything to drink, perhaps?” The waiter said, catching the attention of the two in front of him.  
  
        “Vodka cream pasta with Italian sausage; I think I want that,” Sakae said to the waiter and he wrote it down.  
  
        The waiter looked over at Light. “Italian Sausage & Linguine Pasta. Could I also get a bottle of champagne please?”  
  
        The waiter smiled at them. “Coming right up. I shall be back,” The waiter turned away and walked off.  
  
        “Champagne?” Sakae tilted her head confused. Light smiled then shrugged a little. “Okay?” Sakae sat quietly while they waited for their food to come.  
  
        Sometime later, the waiter brought back the food. He held a bottle of champagne with the year 1957 on the label. The waiter put the bottle into a bucket of ice. “Enjoy your evening.”  
  
        “Wow, doesn’t that look…expensive?” Sakae cringed slightly at the word. She watched Light take the bottle and pour some champagne into some wine glasses. “Light, why are you doing all of this?”  
  
        “I don’t know honestly. Something…just made me want to do it,” He answered back, handing her a wine glass. “Though, there is something that has me curious.”  
  
        Sakae took the glass. “What would that be?”  
  
        “Your brother mentioned something about this day being sensitive to you. Could you tell me why?” Light asked.  
  
        Sakae looked down at her food. “I…” She took a small sip of the champagne. “My parents died today.”  
  
        “What?” Light looked slightly shocked. “Today?”  
  
        Sakae nodded to them. “6 years ago today, my parents died, protecting me from someone who was after me. I…I didn’t know what was happening. Sure, a 12 year old, not knowing what murder was, but my life was…sheltered,” She began to eat a little bit of her food but not much. “I remember…Mom coming into my room to give me a present, then the banging, yelling, shouting. Dad ran into the room and told me to hide. And before I knew it, a man came in and stabbed them, more times than I could count. Everything’s a little fuzzy after that.”  
  
        “I guess I see why you never wanted to celebrate your birthday,” Light said as he looked at Sakae. She never really said much about her past, much of it was shrouded in mystery. Anytime he or Kohaku would ask, the only answer they would ever get was not to worry about. Very rarely did Light see Sakae look as down as she was and it sadden him a bit. Light placed his hand over Sakae, grabbing her attention from her food. “I’m here for you. If there is anything you ever need, let me know.”  
  
        “T-Thank you, Light,” Sakae answered.  
  
        “Shall we finish eating? There is some other place I want to take you,” Light said and received a nod as an answer.  
  
        The two soon finished after a little while. The waiter came by with the check. “Here you go, sir,” He said, handing Light the bill. Light handed the guy the bill after putting the money needed into the folder. “Thank you, sir. Have a good evening.” Then the waiter left.  
  
        “So where to now?” Sakae asked as her and Light left the restaurant.  
  
        “That is a surprise,” Light answered.  
  
        The two walked for some time. Sakae would look at Light who remained quiet during their walk then look ahead of them, hoping to get some hint as to where they were going. They came up to some stairs that stretched up the side of a small hill. “Shall we?” Light stepped aside, allowing for Sakae to go first. She began to climb the stairs with Light not far behind her.  
  
        “How far up are we going?” She asked  
  
        “Just about there,” Light called out from behind her. Sakae rolled her eyes and continued to climb. She saw some light at the top of the stairs; curious, she sped up pace. “Don’t go so fast!” Light yelled. Ignoring him, she continued up the stairs that led to a small balcony that overlooked the city. She stared out at the city, amazed by how beautiful it looked. “What do you think?” Light asked when he walked up next to her.  
  
        “It’s…It’s beautiful,” Sakae said, walking closer the railing. “How did you find this place?”  
  
        “With a little bit of walking around, you’d be amazed by what you could find,” Light followed Sakae over to the railing. “I thought it would be something you would like to see.”  
  
        “It’s amazing. Everything seems so small yet so big; a world of limitless possibilities,” Sakae leaned on the railing as she looked to the city she grew up in. “There is always something out there. I’d love to travel the world; to see how different everything is from Japan.”  
  
        “Dreams are endless. Maybe one day, we could do that together,” Light said as he looked at Sakae.  
  
        Sakae looked at Light. “I…I’d like that.” She smiled a little before looked back out to the city. The two looked out at the city. A small breeze started to blow around them.  
  
        Light laid his hand on Sakae, causing her to looking up at him in confusion. They stared at each other for a few moments, neither daring to move. Slowly pulling Sakae to him, Light held her in his arms as he continued to look into her eyes. A small smile appeared across his lips. “Happy Birthday, Sakae,” he whispered to her before pulling her lips to his and placing a small kiss on them.  
  
        “L-Light?” She stared at him, surprised. Her mind was going everywhere in this moment and being this close to Light was not helping.  
  
        “Shall I take you home now?” Light asked.  
  
        “Y-Yea,” Sakae mumbled out.  
  
        They walked to Sakae’s apartment. Sakae took notice at how close Light was but was too nervous to say something. Light looked over at the girl next to him before looking down slightly. Their hands were so close. Building up the courage, Light took Sakae’s hand in his. She looked at him with a slight blush on her face.  
  
        Ryuichi was waiting for the two outside. He leaned over the railing as he saw them came up. “Hey, lovebirds, how was your date?”  
  
        “It wasn’t a date!” Sakae shouted as she let go of Light’s hand and walked up the stairs. “And it…was fine.” She mumbled out, trying to hide her blushing face.  
  
        “Ah, I see,” Ryuichi said. “Come in for a minute, Light. There’s something waiting for the two of you inside.” He called out. The two followed the older brother inside to the living room. He held a box as well as a piece of paper. “Kohaku stopped by to drop this off,” He said as he handed the objects to Sakae.  
  
        “What’s this?” Sakae opened the box. “Oh my gosh…” In the box laid two infinity rings with best friend engraved on the side. “They’re beautiful.” She whispered. Then she took a look at note which read:  
  
 _Hey. So, I was gonna say this in person when I came to your home but you are gone with Light so I’ll leave you this note instead that I had to write encase I forget what I wanted to tell ya, I guess? I don’t fucking now. Anyways...here we go.  
  
        I'm sorry that I grew distant. I really wanted to hang out with L, which turned into three months of constantly being around him, and ended up falling in love with him. Funny how things work out, huh? So, uh, I hope you love your present. The rings were difficult to get, sorta. There are three. One for me, one for you, and… one for Light. Yep. I said it. One for Light. I...honestly don’t understand why I still care about him, friend wise. It’s...complicated. Can you tell Light that I am sorry and give him his ring? If he whines about it being girly looking, tell him to man up; there are plenty of men who’d wear something girly for a friend or lover… I always yelled at him and stuff, I might still do that, but that is because he is gonna kill L. It’s also... unsettling knowing that our best friend - yeah, I still consider him my best friend even though I say and think about him not being my friend; best friends fights sometimes, though Light and I fight...a lot more than we’ve ever had because of this stupid Kira thing - is Kira and that I can’t tell anyone about it, especially L.  
  
        Anyways, I hope you had an amazing 18th birthday, despite...past issues dealing with today. I am sure your brother did something nice or at least, Light did something nice; I’m sure he did considering I heard from your brother that you two were going out to eat._  
  
 _I hope that someday, you, Light, and I… I hope we’ll be able to actually hang out like we use to, just like we once did before all this Death Note and Kira nonsense; no more hatred between Light and I. Maybe that will happen someday. Who knows?  
  
        I love you both very much. Best friends for infinity.  
  
        <3 Kohaku_  
  
        “What does the note say?” Light asked.  
  
        Quickly sticking the note behind her, she pulled out one of the rings and handed it to Light. “This is for you from Kohaku.”  
  
        “But it’s your birthday?” Light said, confused.  
  
        “There are two of them; plus, she already has one.” Sakae said.  
  
        “I see…” Light stared at the ring Sakae placed in his hand.  
  
        “Okay, it’s getting late, you two. Sakae has karate practice in the morning, mister.” Ryuichi ushered Light out the door. “Bye, Light.” They shut the door; leaving Light on the other side stunned. Sakae was in the other room, laughing her butt off. “What? He didn’t have to stay any longer than he needed to. Now to bed with you, little missy.” Ryuichi then began to usher Sakae into her room.  
  
        “Okay, okay,” Sakae said while laughing. When she got into her room, she laid the box with the ring on her nightstand. “This birthday…may have not been so bad.” She commented before heading to bed. “ _...Oops, I forgot to tell Light that Kohaku wrote she was sorry for always fussing with him… Eh, I’ll tell him tomorrow if I remember_.”

* * *

        Kohaku entered her home. She had just gotten back from dropping off her gift at Sakae's place. She went to the living room. Her parents were making out on the couch. She stared at them for a few moments and found it to be a little cute instead of disturbing. Well, it was cute and not disturbing until her father reaching up her mother's shirt.  
  
        "Okay, porn stars. Get a room before you force your daughter to see your show," Kohaku commented.  
  
        Her parents moved away from each other quickly and their faces were as red as a lobster.  
  
        "Kohaku, you are home," Kyo said. "I wasn't expecting you to come right back. I thought you were visiting Sakae for her birthday?" He was still blushing and trying to ignore the fact that his daughter saw him try to grab his wife's breast from underneath her shirt.  
  
        "She wasn't there. She and Light went out to eat," Kohaku stated. "Sorry that I ruined your...alone time."  
  
        "It's alright, sweetheart," Yue said, grinning a little and getting off the couch. "We just needed to have some adult time since it's been a while but you are home so it can wait."  
  
        "I can leave and stay with my friend," Kohaku suggested.  
  
        "Don't do that," Kyo said. "It's late and your friend could be asleep by now. You should stay home. Yue and I will have plenty of other times to have our moment together." He kissed his wife's cheek.  
  
        " _Yeah, I doubt L is anywhere close to sleeping right now_ ," Kohaku thought. "I'm going to go to my room and get some sleep then. No fucking allowed in this house. I don't want the moaning to keep me up." She started laughing when her parents started blushing like crazy again. "Night!" With that, she headed to her room.  
  
        She opened her bedroom door and walked into it. She went to shower in the bathroom connected to her room, which she does regularly like any normal female or male would, and after putting on a gown, she laid on her bed. She didn't usually wear gowns to bed but she just felt like it today.  
  
        " _I wish things were like they used to be_ ," she thought. " _You know what... Tomorrow, I am going to try and be nice to Light. Probably gonna fail at that because he has been pissing me off so much since Sakae and I turned on him and stopped helping him. Ugh. This really is all my fault. If I hadn't suggested taking it instead of leaving it or throwing it away... Still, someone else could've found it... Ugh... Why did all of this have to happen just because Ryuk was fucking bored?!_ "  
  
        Her cell-phone started to ring suddenly. She sat up and got it off her nightstand. She flipped it open and answered it, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?" She hadn't bothered looking at who called her.  
  
        "Kohaku," she heard L say. "I thought you were staying over."  
  
        "Shit," Kohaku face-palmed. "Sorry. I was going to head over there when I dropped off Sakae's gift but I absentmindedly headed back home." She hadn't been over to see L that day. She was busy with getting Sakae a present and she was also hanging out with her parents that day like she had promised them. She had called L before she left to Sakae's that she'd go to see him. It was unlike Kohaku to forget to go see L. L even noticed this fact.  
  
        "It's very unlike you to forget coming over. Are you alright?" L asked her through the phone.  
  
        Kohaku sighed. "I don't know. Just...still trying to figure out my feelings, you know?"  
  
        "Ah. I understand. I still have to figure out my own feelings as well," L responded.  
  
        "Mmm." Kohaku bit her lip. "So, you called because you were wondering why I wasn't there?"  
  
        "I called because I was worried. I thought something might have happened to you," L stated.  
  
        Kohaku blushed. Luckily, L couldn't see because he was back at his hotel room and Kohaku was at her house. "You worry about me too much. Have you ever worried this much?"  
  
        "...No," L replied. "I do tend to worry about Watari because of his age and such, but with you... I don't know. I just... I couldn't bare it if you were to get badly injured or even killed."  
  
        Kohaku smiled. "That's sweet of you, L. I feel that same way towards you."  
  
        "That's reassuring. I was afraid I was the only one who felt this way," L stated.  
  
        Kohaku laughed. "I need to get to bed."  
  
        L made a little whining noise. It was adorable to hear. "But I want to keep talking to you."  
  
        Kohaku laughed more. "I know. I want to keep talking to you too but I am not like you completely, L. I sleep all the time while you hardly do. I need my sleep."  
  
        "Fiine," L whined. It was cute how his personality with her was slightly different than the one with him being around the Task Force men. "Goodnight, Kohaku."  
  
        "Goodnight, L," Kohaku said. She hung up the phone, closed it, and placed it on the nightstand again. She laid on her bed again and sighed. " _I love you so much, L. When am I going to get the courage to actually reveal this to you_...?" She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

        It’s the next day. It’s daytime. Possibly morning or perhaps the middle of the day.  
  
        At the hotel room, L was in a chair, squatting. He was looking at three bags of evidence. He held up the first bag. “Hair.” He put it down and picked up the next. “Snack crumbs.” He placed it down and picked up the next bag. “Hair.” He continued picking up bags and looking at them. “Mr. Yagami, if I die within the next few days, your son is Kira.” L looked at another bag. “Hm, another hair.”  
  
        “Huh?” Aizawa questioned.  
  
        Mr. Yagami was furious. He stood up and spoke angrily to L. “What did you just say, Ryuzaki?”  
  
        “Exactly. What are you talking about anyway?” Matsuda questioned.  
  
        “If anything happens to me, I’ve asked Watari to make himself available to you, so I'm counting on the team,” L said.  
  
        Mr. Yagami walked up behind him. “Ryuzaki, you said he was almost cleared and now this? Honestly how much do you suspect my son?”  
  
        “Hm, The truth is, I don't even know what to think anymore.” L continued lifting small bags and looking at them. “I've never been in a situation like this. If Kira and the second Kira are working together right now, things are not working good for me. Given that, I may not be thinking as clearly as I normally do. So I could be wrong. Maybe I still consider him a suspect only because we don't have anyone else. But still...if I do happen to be killed soon, please assume that your son is Kira.” He sipped his coffee. “ _I have no choice but to make a sneak attack. This is all a wager now_.”

* * *

        It’s the same day still. Light and Sakae are walking around the university. They had a little break from their classes.  
  
        Sakae stretched her arms up to the sky and tense up a little before relaxing and bringing them back down to her side. “Gosh, I really need to study more. Chem is really going to kick my butt,” she commented.  
  
        “If you need help studying, I could help you out,” Light offered.  
  
        “No, this is something I have to do. How am I going to learn on my own if I keep getting help? But thank you.” Sakae smiled slightly. “Hmm...some water sounds good right now. Huh?”  
  
        “Sup lovebirds.” Light and Sakae paused their walking. They turned around to spot Kohaku walking up to them. “Whatcha love-birdies doing?” Kohaku questioned, smiling. “Finally confessing your love for each other?”  
  
        “Kohaku!” Sakae shouted excitedly.   
  
        “No,” Light said calmly. “Just walking around campus of right now. Class let out a little early, surprisingly.”  
  
        “That is very surprising,” Kohaku stated. She looked at Sakae and patted her head. “How you like being 18? Fun, ain’t it? Being a year older and all.”  
  
        “It was just another day honestly, just as it was another year,” Sakae replied with a shrug. “My birthday...it’s nothing special.”  
  
        "I see." Kohaku walked past them. She spoke in a slightly humorous but mostly serious manner. "You know, you two really should hurry up and confess your love for one another. You never know what could happen. Death. New love. Who knows what the future will bring, my friends."  
  
        “Confess? What are you talking about?” Sakae asked confused.  
  
        Kohaku continued walking, not hearing Sakae as she moves further and further away from her (Sakae) and Light.  
  
        “Hey, wait up!” Sakae ran to catch up to Kohaku. Light followed behind, not worrying too much about his pace.  
  
        "Is there a reason as to why you two are following me? Truthfully, I don't see why you'd want to be around me when I am nothing but a third wheel," Kohaku stated.  
  
        “Why does that matter? Besides, maybe I want to hang out with you a little bit opposed to Light,” Sakae stated.  
  
        “What’s wrong with hanging out with me?” Light asked.  
  
        “Nothing,” Sakae replied.  
  
        "There are many things wrong with hanging out with you, Light," Kohaku commented.  
  
        “Like what?” Light asked.  
  
        "Let's see. You talk too much, you tend to brag about some things, you can be an ass in some conversations, etc and etc. Must I continue; I think not." Kohaku stopped walking and turned towards her friends. She crossed her arms. There was no hint of a ring anywhere on her fingers, although she had stated in her note to Sakae the day before that she had gotten herself a ring that was like the ones she got for Sakae and Light.  
  
        “Hey, Kohaku,” Sakae said to get her attention. “You said you also got yourself a ring as well.”  
  
        "Yeah. What of it?" Kohaku questioned.  
  
        “I...I just see that you aren’t wearing it,” Sakae answered.  
  
        Kohaku moved one of her hands to her neck. Kohaku pulled a chain that had been hidden underneath her shirt. The chain was connected to the ring. "Happy?"  
  
        Sakae smiled a little bit. “Yes ma’am.”  
  
        “How smart, putting the ring on a chain,” Light commented.  
  
        “I’m sure Sakae gave you the other one,” Kohaku said, looking at him. “Perhaps you can also keep it on a chain. I know how some men don’t really like to wear rings.” She smiled a little. “So, where the fuck is my hug? I give you two friendship rings and you don’t thank me with a hug? I am hurt.”  
  
        “I-I didn’t know you wanted a hug,” Sakae said, surprised a little. “I thought you weren’t someone who liked hugs all the time.”  
  
        "True but I am very much in the mood for a hug from my friends because we hardly talk anymore because of the arguing and all the shit that's been going on in our lives." Kohaku spread her arms open, ready for a hug. "Come on! Don't leave me hanging! Gimme a hug, damn it!" She grinned.  
  
        Sakae walked and put her arms around Kohaku.   
  
        Light looked around. “You seriously want a hug? From me?”  
  
        "Yeah. I know we've been fighting a whole lot and that I've kept saying that we weren't friends, that we're barely friends, and such, but honestly, all friends fight over something whether it is stupid or serious. Now come and hug me before we end up fighting over...stuff again." Kohaku stared at him, grinning still. It was a bit odd of her to do this, but Kohaku told herself the day before that she'd try to be nice towards Light for a while and she wasn't going to let her need to yell at him ruin that.  
  
        Light shook his head and smiled. “You’re really something.” Then he hugged his two friends.  
  
        Kohaku laughed a little bit. "You always say something like that when you hug us. It's cute."  
  
        “It could be like a catch phrase!” Sakae suggested.  
  
        “Hmm…” Light thought for a moment. “Perhaps, but I rarely hug anyone.”  
  
        “Which is sad,” Kohaku commented. “Hug people more before you become more cold-hearted than you already are.” She poked him in the stomach.  
  
        “I am not cold-hearted,” Light said.  
  
        "Pfft, sure and I am not a bitch," Kohaku said, rolling her eyes and smiling.  
  
        “Only at times. Sure, Light can be cold-hearted and Kohaku can be not-so-nice at times, but in the end, you are both nice people,” Sakae said to the two of them.  
  
        "Aren't you a sweetie pie?" Kohaku smiled a little and began to walk again. Her friends followed. “ _This is nice...I guess. I really want to yell at Light, but I am not going to; we need moments where we can just be friends and not hate each other… Man, I really hate not being able to yell at him or throw stuff at him…_ ”  
  
        “Sakae, I think you can be a little too nice for your own good sometimes,” Light commented.  
  
        “W-What?! I am not!” Sakae yelled, crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
        Light stopped walking suddenly. The girls stopped as well.  
  
        “Hm?” Sakae wondered. “Something wrong?”  
  
        Kohaku looked dead ahead. “I see.” Sitting on a bench near them in a squatting position was L. He was reading a tiny book and holding it up in his odd little cute way. He was barefoot like usual but there were a pair of shoes on the ground in front of him.  
  
        L looked in their direction and smiled, becoming a bit cheerful, which was unusual for someone like L. “Ha. Hey, Light, Sakae, and Kohaku.” He became serious suddenly and his smile was gone; he had returned to his normal blank stare look. “How’s it going?”  
  
        Light, Sakae, and Kohaku walked over to him.  
  
        “Is it OK for you to be here?” Light questioned. “Didn’t you say you were afraid to appear in public?”  
  
        “Yeah, I did, but then I realized that as long as you are not Kira, I should be safe. The fact is, you three are the only ones on the outside who know me as L. Also, in the unlikely event that I die in the next few days, I’ve instructed your father and everyone else in the headquarters to assume that you, Light, are Kira.”  
  
        “ _Damn him_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        “Could you not say things like that?” Kohaku asked softly. Everyone looked at her. Kohaku was frowning and was visibly upset. “I do not wish to think about you dying...too early in life. It makes me feel...uneasy.”  
  
        “I did not know that the mere thought of my possible death affected you like so,” L stated, frowning. “I will try not to bring it up again.”  
  
        “Thanks.” Kohaku half-smiled.  
  
        L looked towards Light. He went back to the topic at hand. “Besides, you told me yourself that you missed having me around at school so I figured why not come back for a little change of pace. As long as it doesn't kill me, college is a lot of fun.”  
  
        “I have to admit that without you around, intelligent conversation is hard to come by,” Light stated.  
  
        “So Sakae and I aren’t intelligent enough for you, Light?” Kohaku questioned him, raising an eyebrow. “ _Screw being nice after that comment.”_  
  
        “Of course you two are intelligent. L just happens to be easier to talk to,” Light replied.  
  
        "Oh. I guess that makes sense. We're girls and he is a guy..." Kohaku rubbed the back of her head. “ _Wow, this feels really weird. It’s been awhile since I had a conversation with Light that didn’t involve yelling, smirking, throwing of objects, and glaring… I’m use to all those things happening… It’s weird not doing them.”_  
  
        “I’m guessing that is just one reason.” Sakae suggested. “But hey, never know.”   
  
        Ryuk came out out nowhere, having actually been there the whole time but hadn’t said anything so of course you wouldn’t notice him if you could see him, and he was laughing his head off as he watched. Kohaku nearly jumped out of her skin. “ _He sure can pop outta nowhere and give ya a fright. Luckily, I wasn’t that startled by his sudden appearance and laughter. Why the hell is he laughing anyways?_ ”  
  
        “ _Now I don’t know what to do. Is is still OK to kill him today? No. As soon as I make the decision to kill him, he suddenly appears as if to distract me from my goal. I guess he’s trying to guarantee his safety and the ways things are, I’m playing right into his hands_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        L stood up and put his shoes back on. “Hey, eh, do you three wanna have some cake with me in the cafeteria?”  
  
        “Sure. I have a break now, anyway,” Light commented.  
  
        “Yeah. We’d love to,” Kohaku said quietly. “ _Kinda odd seeing L wearing shoes…_ ”  
  
        “Sounds good.” Sakae said with a smile.  
  
        “Hm, that's perfect. I'm kind of craving shortcake right now,” L said  
  
        “Well, let’s hope they have it,” Light said.  
  
        They were about to start heading to the cafeteria when they all heard Misa: “Light! There you are!” She ran over to them. “I had a photo shoot nearby so I thought I’d come by to see you.”  
  
        “ _Misa, you idiot!_ ” Light thought.  
  
        “ _What the fuck is this bitch thinking?!_ ” Kohaku thought. “ _She is risking exposing herself and Light as the Kiras_.”  
  
        “ _Well, we’re screwed_.” Sakae thought, as Misa ran over to them.  
  
        Misa looked at L. “Oh, this must be a friend of yours. He looks so different. Unique. Wait… He could be Kohaku’s twin!! They’ve got the same hair color and they nearly dress the same!” She squealed a bit. “Or you two could be soul mates! How exciting!”  
  
        L and Kohaku blushed a little bit.  
  
        “He isn’t my twin, you idiot. He is my...friend… with benefits,” Kohaku said, unsure. “ _Damn it, Misa. Thanks for saying that you know both me and Light. Next, you’ll say Sakae and all four of us will be suspicious of being Kira or the second Kira because I am sure that L knows you are a model and what model would be friends with three college students? You have totally screwed all of us big time...possibly_.”  
  
        “So what exactly are you doing here?” Sakae asked.  
  
        “To see you guys of course! I can’t see my friends?” Misa questioned.  
  
        “Right. Sorry.” Sakae rubbed the back of her head a little.  
  
        “ _Wait...I've won! Misa would be able to see Ryuga's real name_!” Light thought.  
  
        “I’m Light, Sakae, and Kohaku’s friend, Misa Amane. Nice to meet you,” Misa said to L, smiling.  
  
        L stared at her with his wide eyes. “I’m Hideki Ryuga.”  
  
        “Huh? Hideki Ryu…?” Misa looked up to look over L’s head.  
  
        Light stood in front of Misa, blocking her view from L. “Yeah. He has exact the same first and last name as the famous idol. Pretty bizarre, huh?”  
  
        “ _But it’s different than the name I’m seeing_ ,” Misa thought.  
  
        “ _This can’t be good_ …” Sakae thought.  
  
        “ _And now L knows all three of us know Misa. Great. Just great. Thanks, Misa. You probably just ruined my first and only chance at love because of your obsession over Light_ ,” Kohaku thought.  
  
        “ _Ryuga. Deciding to come here today was a mistake_ ,” Light thought. L started chuckling, pressing one of his fingers to his mouth. Misa, Light, Sakae, and Kohaku looked at him.  
  
        “ _Why the hell is he laughing? Could it mean he noticed something? Makes no sense. If he somehow guessed that she is the second Kira, there's no way he'd be laughing right now_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        L stopped chuckling. “You three are really lucky to be friends with her.”  
  
        “Huh?” Light questioned.  
  
        “I have been a huge fan of yours ever since the August issue of Eighteen,” L told Misa.  
  
        Misa clapped her hands together. “What? Really? That's so sweet of you!”  
  
        “ _What are you thinking about, L_?” Kohaku thought in wonder.  
  
        Suddenly, students began to spot Misa.  
  
        “Hey, oh my god! Isn't that girl Misamisa?” a female student said.  
  
        “Yeah, right. It's her,” another female student said.  
  
        The students started to surround Misa, Light, Sakae, Kohaku, and L.  
  
        “Wow, I should have guessed that I’d be spotted with all these kids around,” Misa said.  
  
        “I’m your biggest fan!” female student one said.  
  
        “Keep up the good work!” female student two said.  
  
        “Oh, thank you. Couldn't do without you,” Misa said.  
  
        “What is this?” Light questioned lowly.  
  
        “This is fame,” Kohaku stated. “Fame of being a model.”  
  
        “No way, someone just touched my butt!” Misa suddenly exclaimed. She turned to spot L looking at her with wide eyes while holding up his hand.  
  
        Kohaku laughed a little. “How cute.”  
  
        “You aren’t upset about that? I thought you loved him?” Light questioned Kohaku.  
  
        “I do but this is just too cute for me to be upset about,” Kohaku stated.  
  
        “Uh, this is an outrage! Taking advantage of this situation is unforgivable.” L was standing in front of Misa now. “I’ll find whoever is responsible for this.”  
  
        Misa giggled. “Haha, oh Ryuga, you’re so funny.” L placed his right hand at the back of his head and grinned a little, looking down at ground.  
  
        “Indeed he is,” Kohaku commented. L looked in her direction and they smiled at each other.  
  
        “ _I want to ask Misa what L's real name is as soon as possible, but all these people are in the way_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        Misa’s manager, Yoshi, walked past the students that crowded around. “Misa, it's time or are we planning to be late again?” She gripped Misa’s wrist.  
  
        “No. I-I’m sorry, Yoshi,” Misa said.  
  
        “Let’s go,” Yoshi told her.  
  
        “O-Okay…” Misa replied. Misa walked away with her manager. Misa looked back as she walked and waved. “Bye, Light! Bye, Sakae! Bye, Kohaku! Miss you three already!” Soon enough, she was gone and out of sight with her manager. The crowd of students descended.  
  
        “ _Perfect. Now that Misa’s away from the crowd, I just have to give her a call and ask for L’s real name_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        “I don’t like that woman’s personality,” Kohaku commented, referring to Yoshi. “I could tell she was rude just by looking at her.”  
  
        “Business is probably always on the mind.” Sakae suggest, crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
        “Now then, perhaps we should get going,” L said.  
  
        “Yeah,” Light said. “Actually, could you guys go on ahead? I need to go use the restroom.” Kohaku looked at Light suspiciously.  
  
        “Oh, Ok. Then I’ll see you there,” L said.  
  
        “Don’t take too long,” Sakae commented.  
  
        L, Sakae, and Kohaku started to walk away from Light. Light pulled out his phone as he headed in the opposite direction as them.  
  
        “ _Light’s gonna call Misa_ …” Kohaku thought. “ _He’s gonna get L’s name… This is bad..._ ”  
  
        “ _It's over. It's been fun, L… I'm grateful that I was the one to discover your name so I could kill you myself_ ,” Light thought, smirking a bit. He dialed Misa’s number and placed his phone to his ear. He heard a phone going off behind him. Light turned to see that L, Sakae, and Kohaku had stopped walking and L was holding up Misa’s phone.  
  
        Kohaku bite her lip. “ _That’s Misa’s phone. So that’s why he did THAT earlier… Smart move, I guess._ ”  
  
        “ _I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing_ ,” Sakae thought.  
  
        L answered Misa’s phone. “Yes? Hello?”  
  
        “What do you mean ‘hello’?” Light questioned.  
  
        “Oh, is that you, Light?” L acted as if he didn’t expect it to be Light. “I guess someone must have dropped this phone in all of the commotion earlier on.”  
  
        “ _He took it. Bastard_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        “Ah, hello?” L questioned.   
  
        Kohaku found herself close to laughing, despite the situation. “ _He is so adorable~ It almost makes me forget that he might consider Sakae and I as suspicious as Light right now.”_  
  
        “Yeah. That's...that's Misa's cell phone you have.” Light stood right behind L now and by the girls. “I can give it back to her.”  
  
        L kept the phone close to his ear still. “Oh, I see. We're sure that makes sense.” He hung up the phone and turned around. He handed the phone to Light and started walking away again. Kohaku, Light, and Sakae didn’t move.  
  
        “ _Maybe… Maybe he doesn’t suspect that Sakae and I had helped Kira…_ ” Kohaku thought. “ _Oh, who am I kidding? He probably does_.”  
  
        “ _It’s going to be really fun trying to figure all of this out_.” Sakae thought to herself.  
  
        “ _Ryuga. He probably thinks he is pretty clever right now, but Misa has another phone he doesn't know about. I'll just call that one instead_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        L’s phone started to ring and he stopped walking again. “It’s actually my cellphone,” he mumbled to himself. He pulled it out and answered it. “Ahem. Yes. Yes, I see. So it's done, then. I understand.” He hung up and looked at the three friends. “I'm not exactly sure how you'll take this, but regarding Misa Amane there's something you should know. We've taken her into custody under suspicion of being the second Kira.”  
  
        “ _Fuck_!” Kohaku thought.  
  
        “ _We’re all screwed_ ,” Sakae thought.  
  
        “ _How long has he known about Misa? I never thought he would find her this quickly_ ,” Light thought.  
  
        “We gathered physical evidence from the envelopes that were sent by the second Kira. In particular, we recovered hairs and fibers from the masking tape used to seal them. They matched what we found in Misa's room. There would be public uproar if it gets out that she's been apprehended as the second Kira, so officially we charged her manager with drug possession, and she's a voluntary witness, but I doubt any of this would get out,” L explained.  
  
        “ _Son of a bitch. He more than likely suspects all three of us now and not just Light. Damn it. I was afraid this would end up happening_ ,” Kohaku thought.  
  
        “ _Careless and now we could all go down._ ” Sakae started to bite her nails.  
  
        “ _I was careless. The videos! I should have destroyed all the evidence before the police had a chance to go through it. Now, I’ve not only made myself a bit more suspicious but I’ve probably brought Sakae and Kohaku back into this mess. In the end, Ryuga knew that his best defense was to stay close to me rather than trying to hide. He confronted things head-on. This wager was my.... was my... No! Not yet! The real battle is just beginning, L,_ ” Light thought.  
  
        L couldn’t help but worry. Misa was suspected as the second Kira and Light, Sakae, and Kohaku all knew her which was very suspicious in a way. “ _Kohaku couldn’t be helping Kira...could she? No, she isn’t the kind of person to do such a thing. Sakae doesn’t seem to be the kind of person who’d help Kira… but then again, if Light is Kira, it is possible that maybe at some point, the girls did help him because they're his friends or they could’ve been helping him this entire time and fooled us all. Such a predicament this is_.”

* * *

        It’s a little later that day. L entered his hotel room and sat down in front of a TV. L communicated with Watari through a microphone-kind of-device. “Watari, has she said anything yet?”  
  
        “No. She hasn’t spoken a word,” Watari replied.  
  
        Aizawa, Mr. Yagami, and Matsuda walked up behind L.  
  
        “Get me a visual of her, will you?” L asked Watari.  
  
        “Are you sure?” Watari questioned.  
  
        “Yes and quickly,” L responded.  
  
        Misa appeared on the screen. She was in some kind of bondage that kind of looked a bit...fetish like and sexual-ish in a way. In other words, it just plain looked like something you’d see in a porno. Misa’s eyes were covered.  
  
        “Ryuzaki! What's the meaning of this?” Mr. Yagami demanded.  
  
        “I've apprehended her on suspicion of being the second Kira. I'm afraid this is necessary,” L said.  
  
        “Chances are Amane is guilty. There seems to be enough evidence to convict it, but all the same…” Mr. Yagami said.  
  
        “Yes. There can be no mistake. Now we need a confession out of her. We need to know how she kills, whether she knows Kira, and if so, who he really is. Watari, take the necessary precautions but beyond that, you are free to do whatever has to be done, OK? Just make her speak,” L said.  
  
        “Very well,” Watari responded over the microphone like device.  
  
        “Oh, Mr. Yagami,” L said.  
  
        “Huh?” Mr. Yagami questioned.  
  
        “Light has now become a prime suspect and I'm probably gonna bring him in for interrogation as well. Please be prepared for that,” L informed him. Mr. Yagami didn’t say anything. “...and as much as I hate to say it, Kohaku and Sakae are also suspects.”  
  
        “What? No way!” Matsuda exclaimed.  
  
        “I could understand why Kohaku could be a suspect but Sakae? There’s no way,” Aizawa stated.  
  
        “Why could they be considered suspects anyway?!” Mr Yagami asked.  
  
        "It is a bit suspicious that all three of them know Misa," L stated. "They've never mentioned her before so they must've met her recently or just didn't bother telling anyone."  
  
        "It could've just been a coincidence!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed. "Please rethink this!"  
  
        “What the hell?!” the men heard someone exclaim. They all turned to see Kohaku. She was staring wide-eyed at the footage of Misa. “What the hell did ya do to her?! That bondage shit she’s in looks like something you’d see in a porno!” She walked over to them and stared at the screen. “ _I’d be scared shitless if I were in her situation. I sorta am except I’m not restricted from movement...or seeing._ ”  
  
        “When did you get here?” Aizawa asked.  
  
        “I just got here,” Kohaku answered.  
  
        “Kohaku, it may not be the best idea for you to be here right now,” Mr. Yagami said.  
  
        “Why is that?” Kohaku asked, pretending like she didn’t know what was going on. “ _I’m pretty sure L told them that Light, Sakae, and I are all suspects. Well, Light being even more of a suspect than he was before._ ”  
  
        “Er...I don’t know how to explain it.” Mr. Yagami said, nervous slightly.  
  
        "Hm?" Kohaku wondered.  
  
        “Might as well tell her since she will find out eventually.” Aizawa told Mr. Yagami.  
  
        Mr. Yagami creased his forehead while in thought. “Yea. Kohaku, you’ve become a suspect in the Kira case.”  
  
        "What?!" Kohaku exclaimed in false disbelief. "You are shitting me, right?"  
  
        “Unfortunately, no. Both you and Sakae have been named suspects.” Mr.Yagami said.  
  
        Kohaku sighed. “...Guess I saved you guys the trouble of hunting me down to interrogate me then, huh?” She moved to lean against the wall, frowning.  
  
        “I have no idea what L wants to do right now.” Mr. Yagami stated. “Honestly, I’m confused about everything that is going on.”  
  
        “I want to speak to Kohaku alone,” L said.  
  
        Aizawa, Mr. Yagami, and Matsuda nodded. They headed to the other side of the hotel room. L turned off the TV screen, stood up and moved closer to Kohaku.  
  
        “...Yes?” she questioned, frowning.  
  
        “When did you meet Misa?” he asked.  
  
        “About a few days ago, I guess. She was hanging out with Light. Sakae and I went over to see him and that’s how we both met her,” Kohaku half-lied. She and Sakae had already been at Light’s when Misa came over and all three of them officially met her a few days ago.  
  
        “Has Light been Kira this entire time?” L asked her.  
  
        “Light isn’t Kira!” Kohaku exclaimed. “Would you stop with that nonsense?!”  
  
        “Why are you defending him? I thought you were barely his friend,” L said.  
  
        “He is still my friend, even if it is barely! Of course I’ll defend him! He isn’t Kira! Neither is Sakae! I’m not Kira either! There is no reason for us to be suspects!” Kohaku yelled. Give her a prize. She is one good actress.  
  
        “I have my reason to suspect you all as suspects. One of my strongest beliefs is that Light is Kira. Let’s just say he is Kira, would you try to help him?” L asked.  
  
        “No! I would not!” Kohaku exclaimed.  
  
        L sighed and placed his hands on Kohaku’s shoulders. He stared at her. “Kohaku… Are you lying to me?”  
  
        “Of course not!” Kohaku yelled. “Why would I lie to you?!”  
  
        “You could have been pretending to be my friend all this time,” L stated. “For all I know, you could even be Kira or could at least be helping Kira.”  
  
        “If I were Kira, you’d probably already be dead by now!” Kohaku glared at L and then spoke sarcastically. “Yes, L. I am helping Kira try to kill the man that I love who happens to be a sweet-loving detective.” She rolled her eyes, not realizing her confession or L’s eyes becoming wider than usual. “Of course I am not helping Kira nor am I Kira. Light is not Kira. He can’t be Kira. Sakae can’t be either. Someone else is Kira but not me or my friends.” Oh, how she hated lying to L, but she had to.  
  
        L stared at her for a moment. He then hugged her. “I believe you.”   
  
        “I’m glad,” Kohaku responded, half-smiling. She was feeling a bit bad that she was lying to L and that he was believing her, though she was also kinda happy about him believing her. It was quite confusing, actually.  
  
        L grinned a little, thinking over what Kohaku had said. “You love me?”  
  
        “Hm?” She stared at him for a moment before realizing what she had said before. She blushed like crazy. “Uh… I… Well…”  
  
        “Hmm?” L smiled a little bit.  
  
        Kohaku blushed even more and avoided eye contact with him. "I... I love you very much and I kinda wish that I chose a better time to tell you that." She rubbed the back of her head nervously.  
  
        “I’m happy you told me, no matter the time.” L said.  
  
        "Mhm..." Kohaku continued blushing.  
  
        L pulled Kohaku into a hug. “I love you, too.”  
  
        Kohaku's eyes widened and she hugged him back. "You...do?"  
  
        L blushed slightly and nodded. “Yes, I do.”  
  
        Kohaku pulled out of the hug and smiled at him. "That makes me really happy."  
  
        “I-I’m glad.” L said, smiling back at Kohaku.   
  
        Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, and Matsuda walked over. They spotted the two smiling at one another.  
  
        “Well?” Aizawa questioned, looking at the two curiously.  
  
        “Kohaku and Sakae are no longer suspects. Thankfully, it was just mere coincidence. You were right, Mr. Yagami. However, Light is still the prime suspect,” L stated.  
  
        “This is good news,” Matsuda said, smiling a little. “Sort of.”  
  
        “Yeah but why do I feel so uneasy?” Kohaku questioned, sighing.  
  
        “Well, Light is still being suspected so that could be why,” Mr. Yagami suggested. “Also, Misa is in custody and she is your friend.”  
  
        “Probably. I have been trying to be nicer to Light lately. I miss being his friend. Now that we’re sorta going back to being best friends again, I guess that would explain why L suspecting him as Kira makes me so uneasy. With Misa, I haven’t really known her for that long but I feel sorry for her. I wish she didn’t have to go through all this nonsense.” Kohaku crossed her arms and sighed. “Why does life have to be so complicated?”  
  
        Mr. Yagami pulled her into an unsuspected hug. “I don’t know, Kohaku. It’s just how life works.”   
  
        Sakae entered the hotel room. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”  
  
        “Sakae?” Mr. Yagami looked over at the girl entering the hotel room.  
  
        “Did I miss something?” She asked, looking around the room. “I did, didn’t I?”  
  
        "Well," Kohaku started. "You and I were suspected as Kira or at least helping Kira but don't worry. I talked to L about that and we are clear. That's all you missed really. Nothing else important. Oh and L's my boyfriend. Who wants brownies?" She said the last part to try and pretend like she didn't call L her boyfriend.  
  
        “Wait, what?!” Sakae shouted. “Slow down for a minute. You and I were suspects and you and L are together now?”  
  
        "Pretty much. Yeah." Kohaku nodded.  
  
        “How is something like that not important?” Sakae asked, confused.  
  
        Kohaku thought about it. "Hm. Define important. To me, only thing important I just stated was that me and L are together. That's all I care about at the moment." L chuckled a bit.  
  
        “Priorities, my friend. You and I being suspects isn’t important?” Sakae said.  
  
        "Yeah because we aren't suspects anymore. I told you that already...didn't I?" Kohaku questioned.  
  
        “I heard that, I just wondering why.” Sakae clarified.  
  
        "I'll explain everything later. Actually, I'll explain as we both make brownies." Kohaku gripped Sakae's arm. "Let's go, my friend." She started dragging Sakae to the kitchen.  
  
        “Okay?” Sakae laughed a little bit as she allowed her friend to drag her to the kitchen.  
  
        Mr. Yagami crossed his arms and gave L a look. “So, what’s this about you and Kohaku dating?”  
  
        L blushed. “We should be getting back to work.” L went back to sitting on the couch in his squatting position.  
  
        “This conversation isn’t over,” Mr. Yagami stated. “If you hurt Kohaku, I’ll-”  
  
        “I have no intentions of hurting Kohaku in any way,” L stated. “I love her too much.”  
  
        “I think Ryuzaki and Kohaku are a cute couple,” Matsuda commented. Mr. Yagami gave him a look. “Sorry…”

* * *

        Three days went by. Kohaku was with the men. Sakae was there too. Everything was okay. Everyone was sitting around on the couch and chairs.  
  
        “Ryuzaki. Amane is talking,” Watari said over a device.  
  
        “Quickly get me her visual and the audio.” L jumped up and ran over to another couch, parkouring onto it in his own little way and landed on his back. He sat up and squatted on the couch.  
  
        “ _Well, that was a little odd to watch_ ,” Sakae thought.  
  
        Kohaku was holding in her laughter. “ _Oh my gosh. That was great. I wish I could clap and cheer...and laugh my ass off._ ” She stood up along with Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, Sakae, and Aizawa. They walked over to the other couch and stood behind L.  
  
        “Finally after three days of this, huh?” Aizawa said.  
  
        Misa showed up on the screen. The camera footage was zoomed in on Misa’s face. She was breathing heavily. “I can't take it any more. Kill me.”  
  
        “Huh?” Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, and Aizawa mumbled. Kohaku frowned.  
  
        “Kill me. Please just kill me,” Misa said.  
  
        “I don’t know. Maybe this was all too much for a young girl to take,” Aizawa said.  
  
        “He’s right. We’ve pushed too far,” Matsuda said.  
  
        Kohaku whimpered a bit. “ _I wish she’d stop saying that… She’s far too young to die_.” When the men and Sakae looked at her in concern, she reassured them. “I’m okay…”  
  
        “You sure?” Sakae asked. Kohaku nodded.  
  
        L talked into a device. To Misa, she was hearing an altered voice. “Misa Amane, can you hear me?”  
  
        “I hear you. Please just kill me now,” Misa said.  
  
        “Does this mean you would admit to being the second Kira? Is this the reason you wish to die?” L questioned her.  
  
        “No. I don't know anything about the second Kira. I really can't take this any more. I'd rather be dead. Now hurry up and kill me! If you wanted to, you could kill me right now, couldn't you?” Misa was terrified.  
  
        Kohaku frowned even more. “ _Damn it, Misa…”_ She glanced to see that Rem was there with Misa. The camera that was on Misa had moved out a little. No wonder Kohaku hadn’t noticed Rem beforehand. “ _I see now… She wants Rem to kill… Oh, Misa. I feel sorry for you_ …”  
  
        “ _She’s talking to Rem, not us_.” Sakae realized.  
  
        “Misa, do you mean…?” Rem began to question.  
  
        “Yes. Kill me,” Misa said.  
  
        “Do you really mean that, Misa?” Rem questioned.  
  
        “Yes, I do. Oh, I can't take it any more. Kill me,” Misa said.  
  
        Kohaku bite her lip and looked at the men. “ _Do they think she is becoming a little...crazy because of the interrogation? I mean, to them, she is basically talking to a voice in her head while I can see that she is speaking to Rem… I wish I could just tell L the truth and all of this would be over...but I cannot. I can’t betray my friends..._ ”  
  
        Sakae stared at the screen, silently. “ _Poor Misa_ …”  
  
        “If I do this, then Light Yagami dies, too. This is all his fault,” Rem said.  
  
        “You can’t. No, you can’t. Please just kill me,” Misa said.  
  
        “ _Why, Misa? Why do you want to die for him?_ ” Rem thought.  
  
        “Fine! If you won’t kill me…!” Misa exclaimed.  
  
        “Stop her! Watari, don’t let her bite her tongue!” L exclaimed.  
  
        Watari wrapped a cloth around Misa’s mouth quickly. Kohaku glanced away from the screen. She couldn’t handle watching Misa anymore. Not after that suicide attempt.  
  
        “Hmmm,” Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, and Aizawa wondered.  
  
        “Is it possible that this behavior could be attributed to Kira controlling her actions before death?” L questioned.  
  
        Sakae stared at the screen. She was watching Rem stare at Misa. “ _What’s Rem up to_?”  
  
        Kohaku refused to look at the screen again; she didn’t have to. She could hear just fine.  
  
        “Misa, when this is done, you’ll forget everything about Shinigami and the Death Note,” Rem told her.  
  
        “Mmmm,” Misa mumbled. She was shaking her head.  
  
        “It’s OK. The human being who you care for is Light Yagami. I promise those feelings will remain. Your feelings towards Kohaku Hatashi and Sakae Shiraki will remain the same as well. So, Misa, forfeit ownership of the Death Note and leave everything to Light Yagami and his friends,” Rem said.  
  
        Misa nodded. “Hmm…” A tear fell down her cheek from the visor that was covering her eyes. Rem reached over and waved her finger over Misa’s head, erasing her memory and accidentally moving some of her hair.  
  
        “Hm?” L wondered as he stared at the screen.  
  
        Rem left Misa as Misa became unconscious.  
  
        “What just happened?” Sakae asked as she looked at the screen.  
  
        Kohaku headed to the other side of the room without saying a word. L looked in her direction. “Hm?”  
  
        “Leave her be, Ryuzaki,” Mr. Yagami said. “She needs some time alone.”  
  
        L stood up anyways. “No, she doesn’t. Watching Misa has affected her more than it has us. I’m going to talk to her.” He headed to where Kohaku walked off to. She was standing in front of a large window, the window they had their first small conversation at.  
  
        Kohaku knew it was him. “She wanted to die, L…”  
  
        “I know. Maybe someone with a level head can talk to her.” L stated.  
  
        "Who knows..." Kohaku crossed her arms. "I can't believe she wanted to die...just because of some interrogation..."  
  
        “There could have been a reason she wanted to die. That’s something that we need to figure out.” L said.  
  
        "Mmm... L, did I ever tell you that I use to support Kira?" Kohaku questioned him.  
  
        “What? You did?” L looked at her, shocked a little bit.  
  
        “Yeah… I did.” Kohaku stared out the window. “I had be fine with what Kira was doing at first. Killing criminals was fine with me… I believed they deserved it. After a while...after learning Kira would kill innocent people if necessary, I no longer supported him. I don’t like it when innocent people die… They don’t deserve to die with heart attacks from Kira or any other horrible way.” Kohaku looked at L. “I won’t let Kira kill you. I’d die before that ever happens.” Kohaku half-smiled and looked out the window again. “Dying in someone else’s place...is okay. I wouldn’t mind dying if it meant that you could stay in this world a little longer…”  
  
        L gripped onto Kohaku’s arm and turned her towards him. She stared at him with wide eyes. “Don’t talk like that. Just because you aren’t okay with hearing me talk about dying doesn’t mean I am okay with you talking about dying.” L held Kohaku’s hands in his own. “Kohaku, I refuse to live in a world that you aren’t in; I wouldn’t be able to handle it. You are the first woman I’ve ever loved and the only one I’ll ever love.”  
  
        “L…” Kohaku started to speak but was silenced by L kissing her. She closed her eyes and kissed him back.  
  
        L pulled away from her after a moment. “Please do not say things like that anymore.”  
  
        “...Sorry,” Kohaku apologized. L kissed her cheek.


	17. Memory Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light, Kohaku, and Sakae lose their memory of the Death Note.

        With the task force, inside the hotel room of L's, the men, L, Kohaku, and Sakae are looking at the footage of Misa. She has just woken up. She didn't have the cloth around her mouth anymore. Kohaku and Sakae were standing on either side of L and the men were standing behind the three of them. L was about to eat some chocolate when Misa started to talk.

  
        "Mr. Stalker, hello, mister, where are you right now? Do, do you think we could stop this game?" Misa asked.

  
        "Stalker? Where did she get that? What's with the new attitude all of a sudden?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        " _Makes sense on how this'll be confusing for them but not for me and Kohaku_ ," Sakae thought. " _Her memory being erased was the best thing for her… I guess._ "

  
        " _This is gonna be a pain in the ass_ ," Kohaku thought.

  
        About thirty minutes went by, Misa hadn't shut up talking.

  
        "Mr. Stalker, this is illegal. You have to stop. OK, Come on, please," Misa said.

  
        "She's been acting like this ever since she regained consciousness," Aizawa said.

  
        "Seriously. Does she think she can get out of this just by playing dumb?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "What would you do if you were in her position?" Kohaku asked him, looking towards him.

  
        "Uh… I don't know… Probably the same thing…" Matsuda hesitated to say.

  
        "Exactly. So don't go talking shit about someone if you know you'd do the exact same shit," Kohaku stated. She looked back at the screen.

  
        "Kohaku's right," Sakae commented.

  
        "Okay. How about this? You can at least take off my blindfold, don't you think? It'd be nice to see what you look like," Misa said.

  
        "Matsuda. Call Mogi for me," L said. He held out his hand, waiting for Matsuda's phone.

  
        "Huh?" Matsuda questioned. "Um… Just a second." He pulled out his phone and dialed Mogi's number. He handed his phone to L, placing it into L's hand. "Here."

  
        L held the phone near his ear. "Mr. Mogi. When you apprehended Misa Amane, you made it clear that she was a suspect. Am I correct?"

  
        "Yes," Mogi answered. "Like you told me, first I blindfolded her and covered her mouth. I...told that we knew she was the second Kira. I made sure that she heard me. She didn't struggle when I put a blindfold and handcuffs on her. It was like she accepted it."

  
        "What if I give you my autograph, or shake your hand. I know! I can give you a kiss on the cheek, if you want. Oh, come on, I won't run away, I promise," Misa said.

  
        " _We'd already made so much progress with her. I actually thought she'd crack. Why is she suddenly talking about a stalker?_ " L thought. He talked into a device. "Misa Amane."

  
        "Huh? What's that, Mr. Stalker? Are you planning to release me?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Unlikely," Kohaku mumbled under her breath. Sakae nodded in agreement.

  
        "Before you passed out, you barely spoke and even asked me to kill you," L said into the device. "And now you're claiming ignorance?"

  
        "Hm? I don't understand. I mean you are the one who knocked me out and brought me here, remember? Wait. I get it. This is some kind of 'Misa Amane interrogation fantasy', right?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Do you know why I'm detaining you here? You must have some idea," L said, still speaking into the same device.

  
        "What do you mean? Because I'm a celebrity, obviously, but you're definitely the first stalker who's ever gone this far and you are starting to scare me," Misa said.

  
        Matsuda pushed past Kohaku, knocking her over. He talked into the device. "Hey, Amane, no one's buying this. So cut it out!"

  
        "Jeez Matsuda." Kohaku got up. "Lucky for me, you didn't knock me into something head first."

  
        "Are you alright?" Sakae and L asked her, looking in Kohaku's direction.

  
        "I'm peachy keen," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Oh, this is scary. What's going on? I can't stand it any more. Please let me go. You have to let me go. Ah, I need to go to the bathroom. I have to go to the bathroom again, OK?" Misa said.

  
        "It's only been 4 minutes since you last went to the bathroom. I'm afraid you have to hold it," L said to her through the communication device.

  
        "Oh, you have to! It's the only time when you untied me and you let me move. Plus you'll be able to watch. Is that what you want, isn't it? You pervert!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        L pressed his finger to his mouth, deep in thought. "I'm a… pervert?" Kohaku struggled to keep from laughing her ass off. L moved his finger from his mouth. "Amane, let's get back to the conversation we were having before you lost consciousness. First of all, do you know who Light Yagami is and do you know Kohaku Hatashi and Sakae Shiraki are? And if so, why did you approach them?"

  
        "Huh? What do you mean? How could I not know my friends?" Misa questioned.

  
        " _She was so tight-lipped about it earlier, now she's openly admitting that she's friends with them_?" L thought.

  
        "Where is this coming from?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        L's phone started to ring. He lifted up his phone. "Good time. It's Light. Please turn the video and audio off." The screen went blank. L answered his phone. "Yes. Yes, I understand. We'll be expecting you."

  
        "Are you saying my son's coming here?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        Soon enough, Light walked into the hotel room. Kohaku pulled out a bottle of water and sipped it. Light walked towards L a little bit and stood a little ways behind him. "Ryuzaki. Like I said over the phone, I could be Kira." Mr. Yagami gasped.

  
        Sakae stared at with wide eyes and turned towards Light. "Huh?"

  
        Kohaku nearly choked on the water she had been drinking. She also turned towards Light. "Eh? You say what now?"

  
        Mr. Yagami gripped Light's shoulders and shook him. "No, Light! What are you talking about? Why would you even say something like that? Why?"

  
        " _There's no real proof that Light Yagami is Kira, so why come here to announce that you could be Kira? It's an act. There's no 'could be' about it. You are Kira. What do you have to accomplish by this_?" L thought.

  
        "Look, Dad. If Ryuzaki is L then it's safe to say that he's the world's best detective and right now he seems pretty sure that I'm Kira. We know L's never been wrong before." Light was frowning and showing false sadness on his face that was believable to almost everyone.

  
        " _What...is...he...doing?!_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        "What? What are you saying, Light. Stop this!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed.

  
        "Light…" Sakae mumbled.

  
        "What about that FBT agent, Raye Penber? It was me he was investigating immediately before he died and I was in Aoyama on May 22nd. Also, I'm the first person in the Kanto region that Misa, the alleged second Kira, approached. It's all been me. If I were in L's place, even I would have come to the same conclusion. You see, subconsciously I might be Kira. If that were the case, I could be him and not even know it," Light said.

  
        "No, Light," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        " _I see. So, you are not conscious of it all?_ " L thought.

  
        "Um, Light. With your logic, it is possible that Sakae could even subconsciously be Kira. She was also in Aoyama on that day. Sure, Misa met you first but then she met Sakae and I," Kohaku said. "Sere coincidence. Hopefully."

  
        "I don't know, Kohaku." Sakae looked at her. "Maybe all three of us could subconsciously be Kira. Maybe Kira's power transfers from person to person. The three of us use to always hang out, especially when Kira suddenly appeared…"

  
        "S _o you are siding with Light on this… I guess I'm going down with you guys…_ " Kohaku crossed her arms and sighed, shaking her head. "...I don't know. It could be possible, I mean, anything is possible at this point." She looked down at the floor. " _This is all fucked up. We're practically revealing the truth but acting as if we don't know if it is true or not_."

  
        L looked towards Kohaku. " _So, all three of them could be killing people without knowing? No, I refuse to believe that. Light's just bringing Sakae and Kohaku into the mess he created._ "

  
        Sakae continued. "We'd hang out all day long and then suddenly, things just changed," Sakae said. "You vanished for three months, Kohaku."

  
        "I was hanging with L," Kohaku said, blushing. They were sort of getting off topic.

  
        "Someone you barely knew?" Light questioned. "Over your friends you knew longer than him? Some friend you are." He rolled his eyes.

  
        "Don't be an asshole, Light. I won't hesitate to pound you into a grave," Kohaku threatened, glaring at Light.

  
        "Don't fight," Sakae pleaded. "Now isn't the time. I shouldn't have said anything."

  
        "I refuse to believe that you three could be Kira subconsciously!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed. "Do you three seriously think that you could be Kira?!"

  
        Kohaku just shrugged.

  
        "I don't know… Maybe…" Sakae said before biting her lip.

  
        "I...I'm not sure of anything anymore," Light said. "I'd never kill someone, but unconsciously who knows what I'm capable of. Another me could be killing people as I sleep."

  
        "I'm afraid that's not possible," L commented.

  
        "Huh? Not possible? What do you mean?" Light questioned.

  
        "Well, I've never mentioned this to you, but at one point I had hidden surveillance cameras installed in your room for 5 days," L said.

  
        " _I forgot about that_ ," Kohaku and Sakae both thought.

  
        "Cameras!?" Light exclaimed, his eyes widening. Pfft, he already knew about them. His acting was...over the top in a way.

  
        "Yes. Every single night, you slept normally. Criminals whose names were broadcast were still dying even though you would've had no way of knowing about them but this didn't prove your innocence to me. All it proved was that if you were Kira, no amount of camera surveillance would reveal that fact," L stated.

  
        " _He only talked about Light… So… He doesn't believe in Light's theory? Does he know he is lying then?_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        " _Interesting. This is either going to be good or bad_ ," Sakae thought.

  
        "'Wouldn't reveal the fact', huh?" Light placed his right hand on his forehead in slight aggravation. "Huh, I don't know. It could be true. I have to admit I've found myself thinking that some criminals deserve to die. If I can think like Kira, then how can I be sure that I'm not actually him?"

  
        "Hold on, Light. I feel exactly the same way. I found myself thinking before that some people would be better off dead, but still that doesn't mean we're gonna go out and kill people. Isn't that right? Besides, criminals were still being killed even while you had no knowledge of them. I mean the surveillance cameras proved it, didn't they?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Well, no. Because we were short of investigators then, we only watched him while he was at home. Truth is, we weren't able to watch him every hour of the day. It's possible he could've found some way to kill those criminals while he wasn't at home," Aizawa said. "The same goes for the girls."

  
        " _Why the hell do we have to be brought back into this? They were just talking only about Light! Thanks a lot, Aizawa.._." Kohaku thought.

  
        " _Could turn out bad,_ " Sakae thought, looking at the group.

  
        " _This was premeditated. It's no accident you chose to do this now. Well, what if we incarcerate you for a while, imprison you like we did Amane? If criminals whose names are made public keep dying, then it would lead us to think that you are innocent, right? Is that how you imagined it?_ " L thought. He looked over at Kohaku and Sakae. " _I still believe that he is trying to draw attention away from himself and towards the girls… He wants us to suspect them. Kohaku gave me her word that she and Sakae aren't Kira and aren't helping Kira, but she also said Light wasn't Kira… Maybe she is refusing to think that he could be Kira because they are still friends…or maybe she was lying… No, I shouldn't start doubting her just because of the current situation._ "

  
        "Hm," Mr. Yagami grunted out.

  
        Everyone was looking towards L now. The girls decided to continue to be silent.

  
        "What should we do?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Honestly I don't like the way that this is going at all but what choice do I have? Let's do it. I need you to fully restrain Light Yagami and place him in solitary confinement," L said.

  
        " _I didn't hear my name or Sakae's. We are home free_!" Kohaku thought, trying to keep herself from smiling.

  
        " _So far so good_ ," Sakae thought.

  
        "What!? You can't!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed.

  
        "You want us to confine him seriously?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "If we're gonna do this, then that has to happen immediately. From this point on, you can't be allowed to go anywhere where I can't see you," L said.

  
        "This is crazy! There's no way my son could be Kira! My son's not capable of-" Mr. Yagami started.

  
        "It's OK, dad," Light said.

  
        "Stop this, Light," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Listen. Something has to be done about this. As long as I'm having these doubts, I can't work with you to catch Kira. But Ryuzaki, promise me this; until you can say with absolute certainty that I'm not Kira, you cannot set me free, no matter what I might say or what condition I might be in," Light said.

  
        "You have my word," L stated.

  
        "What about the girls?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        " _Damn it, Aizawa! We were home free, damn it!_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        " _Holy shit. Note to self: Smack him,_ " Sakae thought.

  
        "If it is alright with Sakae, I would like for her also to be placed in solitary confinement just to be sure she isn't Kira or helping Kira," L said. "For Kohaku, I can watch her myself. She will stay with me 24/7."

  
        " _He might as well had said 'I am not comfortable with putting my girlfriend in confinement'_ ," Kohaku thought. " _But, aww. He is trying to keep me from being locked up and stuff_."

  
        "Wait, what?!" Sakae yelled slightly.

  
        "He said if you were alright with it," Kohaku said. "Meaning you don't have to but it probably would make you seem...suspicious if you don't do it."

  
        "I-I understand but still. What about classes? And Ryuichi would be worried as hell if I don't come home," Sakae said.

  
        "Yeah, that's true. What about Sakae's brother?" Kohaku questioned. "He won't believe any excuse you give him if it concerns his sister. He'll want to know exactly where she is and he'd probably want to actually see her to confirm if it is true… And what the hell am I gonna tell my parents? That I'm staying with a friend for a while?"

  
        "Perhaps we will have to tell her brother the truth," L responded. He then responded to Kohaku's other question. "That could work. Tell your parents that. I'm sure they'll be okay with it."

  
        "Tell him the truth? Would you really do that?" Sakae asked. "That's...honestly surprising."

  
        "It does seem like the best option though," Kohaku said. "I'm sure he'll be pissed but after explaining things, you can get on with putting Sakae in confinement." L gave her a questioning look. "It would be best to get his permission," she explained. "She's his sister after all."

  
        L nodded. "I agree with that." He looked at Sakae. "Would you like to be the one to call him and tell him of our location?"

  
        "I-I guess so," Sakae replied quietly. She gets out her cell-phone and walks away to call her brother.

  
        "Mr. Yagami, can you come up with some sort of excuse for Light's absence, something to tell your family? And please do it now," L said.

  
        "But this is all so sudden. What should I say? You two…" Mr. Yagami pointed at L and Kohaku. "...can think of excuses from the top of your head and you are allowing Sakae's brother to know everything. It's just..." He was going to say it was a bit unfair but didn't. "Also, I see no reason why Light and Sakae should be in prison while Kohaku can roam free."

  
        "Mr. Yagami," L said. "We've went over this already."

  
        " _We did go over this, didn't we?_ " Kohaku thought. " _Light thinks he is Kira, he really is Kira which makes this odd, and Sakae is only going to be in confinement if her brother agrees...and it ain't even going to be that long. Probably just a couple of days to reassure L that she couldn't possibly be helping Light...but then again, he is probably only doing this...b/c he thinks Light might be trying to make her a suspect? Hmm… This is confusing as fuck. I can't roam free; I gotta stay with L 24/7, which sounds like Heaven to me, and this is mainly because of what Sakae and I said. We all could be Kira. We as in Light, Sakae, and I… actually, I guess at one point, we all actually were and now it is just Light… This really is confusing, holy shit!_ "

  
        "Let it go, Dad," Light said. "If I don't do this, I won't be able to live with myself."

  
        "But son, do you really mean that?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "Yeah. I believe that by giving up my very freedom, I'll defeat this fear that Kira lurks within me," Light said.

  
        Soon enough, Light's formal coat he had been wearing was off for some reason, leaving him in all black and he was handcuffed, blindfolded, and had headphones, maybe earmuffs, on his head that were obviously covering his ears. Who knows why the blindfold and headphones/earmuffs were necessary but they couldn't take any chances of something happening, yeah know.

  
        "Aizawa, please take him away," L said.

  
        "Right." Aizawa left the room with Light.

  
        Sakae walked into the room where everyone was. "Ryuichi is on his way. He doesn't seem too happy at the moment."

  
        "That's to be expected," Kohaku and L said together.

  
        "I didn't explain everything to him, so that is something that will have to be done," Sakae explained.

  
        "That'll be fun," Kohaku said sarcastically.

  
        Not too long later, Aizawa was back in the room and he, L, Kohaku, Matsuda, Mr. Yagami, and Sakae were watching both Misa and Light on the TV screen. Ryuichi wasn't there just yet. Kohaku had also contacted her parents to let them know that she was going to be at a friend's place for quite a few days and they were fine with it.

  
        "Ryuzaki, I'd like to request that you take me off this investigation," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Chief, no!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "But why?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        Kohaku and Sakae frowned. They remained quiet.

  
        "I thought about it and the fact is that we're holding my son Light as a prime suspect and Kohaku & Sakae, who I love like daughters, are once again suspects. Given that, it's not appropriate for me to be here. When we spoke earlier, my feeling's got in the way. It's impossible for me to be objective in this situation," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I agree with you. We can't let personal feelings get in the way," L said.

  
        " _And yet, you let that happen earlier when you chose to not have me placed in confinement as well,_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        " _A little late for that, L_ ," Sakae thought.

  
        "And in truth, if… if the task force concludes that my son or one of the girls is Kira, I don't know what I would be capable of," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Yes, I agree with you there. To be honest, I wonder what you might do. I believe you kill your son and then yourself. I'd also agree that it's best we don't have you working here for now," L said.

  
        "Mr. Yagami..." Sakae said, looking at him. "Everything will turn out okay..." She was trying to reassure him but to no avail. She frowned as Mr. Yagami refused to look her way. Kohaku sighed and crossed her arms.

  
        "Ryuzaki, I will ask that you can confine me as well. At the moment I'm calm, but to be honest I'm not sure how much more of this I can take," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "What? No..." Sakae mumbled. Kohaku remained quiet and held Sakae's hand in an attempt to comfort her.

  
        "I thought you might say that. So, I spoke with Watari. He's made arrangements," L said.

  
        "Huh?" the men wondered.

  
        " _He is mainly doing this for Light but somewhat doing it for Sakae as well...and a tiny bit for me since I am not gonna be confined but I am apparently a suspect,_ " Kohaku thought, starting to frown a bit herself.

  
        " _L sure knows how to think ahead most of the time,_ " Sakae thought, frowning still.

  
        "Hm, but your confinement would be different. You'll keep your cell phone turned on, and maintain regular contact with family and friends. You won't tell Light about this. If he does call you at some point, he must be made to believe that you are still at headquarters. While you are in confinement, we'll be giving you continuous updates on the investigation so you will know what's happening. So, how does that sound to you?" L questioned.

  
        "I'm grateful. Thank you," Mr. Yagami said.

* * *

        Not long after Mr. Yagami was placed into confinement as well, Ryuichi finally arrived at the hotel. He went to the hotel room that Sakae told him.

  
        Sakae sat quietly on the couch when Ryuichi entered the room. Ryuichi saw her then looked around the large room. Due to the men and L being in another part of the room that wasn't visible to his line of sight because of the walls, all he saw was Kohaku leaning against one of the walls, his sister obviously, and the furniture that was in that section of the room the three of them were in. "What the hell is going on?" He asked as he walked in.

  
        "Well, we won't know how to start until we know how much you were already told," Kohaku said.

  
        "All Sakae told me is that she may not be coming home for a while and that I needed to come here," Ryuichi explained.

  
        "Okay. First things first, I guess. Do you know of L?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "I've heard of him," Ryuichi replied. "Why ask?"

  
        "Because he is here and this is pretty much our Kira investigation headquarters," Kohaku revealed. Ryuichi stared at her, shocked.

  
        "And," Sakae started. "He suspects Light of being Kira and...as well as I."

  
        "What?" Ryuichi said, dumbfounded, now looking at Sakae.

  
        "One of the reasons we wanted you here was to reveal that we've been a part of the Kira case for a while and the other reason why we wanted you here was because-" Kohaku started.

  
        L stepped around the corner. "We wanted to ask for your permission to put your sister in confinement for a week to test if she is Kira or is helping Kira."

  
        "What?! Why?" Ryuichi yelled.

  
        "What do you mean why?" Kohaku questioned. "L wants to be sure Sakae isn't Kira or helping Kira. He wanted your permission because Sakae is your sister."

  
        "I understand that much," Ryuichi replied. "Yet, I don't why you would see her as Kira or helping Kira. Sakae wouldn't do something like that."

  
        "Your sister and Kohaku both agreed with Light Yagami's theory and believe they could be Kira subconsciously," L stated, staring at Ryuichi blankly.

  
        "How in the world is that possible?" Ryuichi asked, confused.

  
        "It could be," Kohaku stated. "Anything's possible."

  
        "I just don't see how that could be possible," Ryuichi stated before thinking for a moment. "If I do agree, what will you do about her classes?"

  
        "I can have someone talk with her professors to see what they will do," L responded.

  
        "I see," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Ryu, it's okay. Hopefully it will be only a couple of days," Sakae said. "R-Right?"

  
        "L said a week," Kohaku commented.

  
        "O-Okay." Sakae said quietly.

  
        "Any longer than a week, I'm dragging her out of her cell and bring her home," Ryuichi stated, glaring slightly.

  
        "No need to glare," Kohaku said.

  
        "I know, but still…" Ryuichi replied.

  
        "Ryu, I'll be okay. I can take care of myself sometimes," Sakae said to him. Ryuichi looked at her and simply nodded. "S-Shall we go ahead and get this over with then?" She asked.

  
        "I'll take her," Aizawa said, as he entered the section of the room they were in, having pretty much heard everything. He escorted Sakae to where she would be confined.

  
        "So, what do I do?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "You may stay here but only if you join in on the investigation," L said, heading back to where the footage of everyone confined was shown. Kohaku and Ryuichi followed. Ryuichi eyed the footage of Light, Misa, and Mr. Yagami in confinement. He also noticed Matsuda who glanced in his direction before he looked at the screen again.

  
        "I see and what exactly would that entail?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "Things such as providing input or doing small assignment," L responded.

  
        " _Basically, L is asking Ryuichi to be another Matsuda. Be absolutely worthless in many ways and not do anything important except give L food, tea, or coffee,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "Okay. I guess I could do that," Ryuichi said.

  
        "Ah, so you are joining then?" Kohaku questioned. "Cool."

  
        Something crossed Ryuichi's mind. "What about Kohaku? You said both of them believe that they could be Kira," Ryuichi said.

  
        "Uh…" Kohaku rubbed the back of her head.

  
        "She'll be remaining by my side. I'll be watching her 24/7 while watching over those in confinement," L said.

  
        "Why couldn't you do that for Sakae?" Ryuichi questioned.

  
        "I have my reasons," L said.

  
        "And I think I know why," Ryuichi said, crossing his arms and glancing between L and Kohaku. " _This is fucking ridiculous. It's not fair to Sakae just because this guy doesn't want to lock up his girlfriend. Guess it doesn't really matter, right now. Forgiven but not forgotten,_ " Ryuichi thought.

* * *

        Three days have gone by since Sakae, Light, and Mr. Yagami have be placed in confinement. All three of them were shown on the TV screen in front of L, Aizawa, Matsuda, and Ryuichi. Kohaku wasn't in the room with them at the moment. Mr. Yagami was sitting in a chair and staring at the floor. Light was sitting on the bed in the holding cell he was in, hands cuffed behind his back, and staring straight ahead of him as if he were deep in thought. Sakae was humming and sitting on the bed, kicking her feet around. Misa was somewhat whining.

  
        "Hey, Mister, I really wanna take a bath. I'm pretty sure you already know where I live, don't you? Could you bring me some clean clothes?" Misa asked.

  
        "I don't think this could get any more bizarre," Aizawa commented.

  
        "I feel so sorry for the chief right now," Matsuda commented.

  
        "Sakae's only going to be held for a week, right?" Ryuichi questioned. He didn't get an answer back. He sighed and stared at the footage of Sakae, frowning.

  
        On Light's footage, he looked up at the camera. "Ryuzaki, talk to me. What's happening? Have any new criminals been identified; anyone that Kira would be likely to target. If so, has he killed any of them?"

  
        L clicked on the communicating device that was connected to the camera in Light's holding cell. "In fact quite a few criminals' names have been broadcast recently but since you've been detained, we haven't had one report of a criminal being killed by Kira."

  
        "Wait, no one's been killed? Really?" Light questioned.

  
        "Yes," L stated, still talking into the device so he could communicate with Light.

  
        "I see. So it's only a matter of time before I'm convicted as Kira," Light said.

  
        "What I wouldn't give for an apple," Ryuk commented, sitting beside Light. No one heard him other than Light.

  
        " _What's going on here? I thought the murders would continue even after Light was confined. Instead, it stopped completely. Light asked to be confined in the first place. As this continues, it'll only strengthen the argument that he is Kira. Sakae is being held only because of some slight doubt I was having but I am almost completely sure she isn't Kira and I know 100% that Kohaku is not Kira. Now, the only question left would be whether or not Light was conscious of being Kira. Does he really think that's gonna work? That he'll be let off the hook if he can just prove he wasn't conscious of being Kira? It's not like Light Yagami. No, it's not like Kira. His theory seems almost impossible. Almost. Sakae could be Kira but I haven't seen any sign of her doing anything without knowing she was doing it, which will soon roll her out from being suspected as Kira_ ," L thought.

  
        Kohaku walked over to the men, drying off her hair with a towel. She was wearing L's clothing. "Anything new?"

  
        "No." L continued to stare at the screen.

  
        Aizawa and Matsuda also continued to look at the screen.

  
        Ryuichi looked at Kohaku. He stared at what she was wearing. "You're dressed like Ryuzaki," he stated about a minute later. His statement caused Aizawa, Matsuda, and L to look in Kohaku's direction.

  
        "Gee, nothing gets by you," Kohaku said, half-smiling.

  
        "Why are you wearing my clothes?" L wondered.

  
        "Because all of my clothes are at home still and I can't leave. Also, the clothes I changed out of were dirty. I decided that I'd just wear some of your clothes," Kohaku explained. The shirt and pants were a bit baggy for her but comfortable. If only they could fit her as perfectly as they did L.

  
        "You look cute," Matsuda commented, smiling at Kohaku.

  
        "Um… Thanks, I guess," she said, a tiny hint of blush in her cheeks.

  
        "Matsuda. I'd appreciate if you didn't flirt with my girlfriend," L said, sending a small glare in Matsuda's direction.

  
        "S-Sorry, Ryuzaki." Matsuda looked back at the screen to avoid eye contact with anyone.

  
        "I detect some jealousy," Kohaku commented. She went over to L and kissed his cheek. She whispered in his ear. "No need to be jealous. I love you and one love is all I need in this life."

  
        L had a hard time hiding his blush. "Kohaku, could you make me something?"

  
        "Sure. What would you like?" she asked.

  
        "Surprise me," he said.

  
        "Okay." Kohaku headed to the kitchen. It's amazing how L said he would watch Kohaku 24/7, yet he let her shower without him outside the door and do things without him around. It shows just how much he trusts her and believes she isn't Kira.

  
        "Ryuzaki, can I speak with my sister?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "Go ahead," L said. "I'm going to go watch Kohaku." L got out of his chair. He headed to the kitchen.

  
        Ryuichi pressed the button to where he could speak to Sakae. "Sakae, are you doing okay?"

  
        "Hmm?" She looked up at where the camera was. "Yea, I doing fine, though I miss my bed at home. Other than that, everything is okay."

  
        "Come on, be serious here," Ryuichi scolded slightly.

  
        "What exactly is there to be serious about?" Sakae asked. "There's nothing really big to this. Trust me, Ryu, I'm more than fine." She showed him a bright smile.

  
        Ryuichi smiled a little in response to his little sister. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'm here for ya."

  
        "Of course; I wouldn't imagine anything else," Sakae said. "Now, I'm going to take a nap. Thanks for talking with me, Ryu."

  
        "Anytime, Sakae," Ryuichi said before letting go of the button.

  
        "You two seem close," Aizawa commented.

  
        "Yeah," Matsuda agreed with Aizawa.

  
        "Now. We used to fight a lot but I'm glad we're close now," Ryuichi commented as he watch Sakae fall asleep in her holding cell-place. Ryuichi sighed and moved away from the screen. He exited the section of the room and looked around the hotel room. It had quite a few couches and chairs. He turned a corner and spotted L & Kohaku in the kitchen. They paid him no mind, more than likely not even noticing his presence or just pretending he wasn't there. Kohaku was giggling.

  
        "Patience. Food takes time to bake," Kohaku said, smiling at L.

  
        L wrapped his arms around her. "I don't like waiting."

  
        "No kidding," Kohaku said, giggling again. L smiled and leaned towards Kohaku. They both closed their eyes and kissed.

  
        Ryuichi just watched silently. " _I knew it_."

* * *

        It's now day five of the confinement. L and Kohaku were sitting in their odd ways beside one another. Matsuda, Aizawa, and Ryuichi stood behind them. They were all still watching Misa, Light, Sakae, and Mr. Yagami.

  
        Ryuk was complaining and feeling his...symptoms getting closer to starting. "I can't take this anymore. If I don't get an apple soon, I don't know…" Kohaku bite her lip to keep from smiling.

  
        "In the end, I just have to get through this, no matter what," Light mumbled to himself. He was still sitting on the bed in his holding cell.

  
        "You know what, Mr. Stalker? Your video won't sell if it's just me sitting here the whole time," Misa said.

  
        " _I wish she'd shut up about the stalker thing,_ " Kohaku thought.

  
        Sakae was laying on the bed in her holding cell.

  
        " _Home_ …" Sakae thought.

  
        " _I hate seeing her like this_ …" Ryuichi thought.

  
        Mr. Yagami is still in the chair in his holding cell, looking extremely exhausted.

  
        "Mr. Yagami looks pretty bad. I think he's taking this harder than Light, Sakae, or Misa," L said.

  
        "What do you expect?" Matsuda questioned. "It's been 5 days since Light was put in prison and look, not a single criminal whose name has been broadcast was killed. In these situations, I think that parents must suffer a lot more than the accused."

  
        "No kidding, especially now that we're seeing proof that Light is Kira," Aizawa said.

  
        "What about my sister?" Ryuichi questioned.

  
        "There's no way she could be Kira," Aizawa said. "Even I have to admit that much. For all we know, she might have just been going along with Light's theory so he wouldn't be alone. Kohaku, however-"

  
        "Don't you even start," Kohaku said.

  
        L pressed the communication device that connected to Mr. Yagami's room. "Mr. Yagami."

  
        "What is it?!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed. He stared at the camera with wide eyes. "Is it good news?! Is it bad news?!"

  
        "No. I wanted to tell you not to worry so much. It doesn't matter how much time you devote worrying about this, the outcome will be the  
        same. This can go on for quite some time. Perhaps you should rest in a more comfortable place," L told Mr. Yagami.

  
        Mr. Yagami got out of his chair and knocked it over. "Impossible! What makes you think I care where I am? It won't change anything. With the state I'm in now, this is the best place for me and no matter what the result, when I leave here, it's going to be with my son."

  
        "I understand," L said quietly. Kohaku patted L's shoulder. "Aizawa, go and get Sakae. Her time in confinement is over."

  
        "Huh?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "Do what the man says," Ryuichi said, happy. "Go release my sister." Aizawa sighed and exited the room. Ryuichi looked at L. "Why are you letting her go early?" Ryuichi questioned him.

  
        "I only placed her in confinement because of some doubt. I'm completely sure now that Sakae isn't Kira nor helping Kira. Also, I believe that Kohaku and Sakae were mainly just going along with Light's theory so he wouldn't be in this alone like Aizawa had suggested earlier," L explained. " _I do believe that Light is Kira and Misa is the Second Kira. I merely suggested that Sakae should be confined as well because she was directing some attention towards herself that made her suspicious. With Kohaku… I couldn't do that to her. I shouldn't let my feelings get in the way but… I did. I made it obvious that my weakness is Kohaku. If Light is Kira… I hope this weakness isn't used against me_."

  
        " _He figured it out. Sakae and I were just going along with Light's theory so he wouldn't go down alone...sorta. Actually, Sakae went along with Light and I only went along too because Sakae was doing so. I didn't want her to go down without me,_ " Kohaku thought. " _I nearly just confused myself_."

  
        "Thank you, L, for letting her go early," Ryuichi said. L nodded.

  
        "Is what L said true?" Matsuda asked Kohaku. "You and Sakae went along with what Light said so he wouldn't be alone?"

  
        "No," she answered honestly. "Sakae went along with Light's theory. I went along with it because she did. I did it for her, not Light."

  
        "Oh," Matsuda said. "That makes more sense."

  
        Kohaku smiled and laughed a little. "Glad you know me so well, Matsuda." Matsuda smiled and rubbed the back of his head nervously while blushing a little bit.

  
        Eventually, Aizawa was back and with Sakae. Once in the section of the hotel room everyone was in, Sakae immediately spotted Ryuichi and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him as she hugged him tightly.

  
        "Sakae!" Ryuichi said. He wrapped his arms around his sister. "I'm glad you're okay."

  
        "Why wouldn't I be? Nothing bad happened to be, Ryu," Sakae commented, pulling out of the hug. "You overthink things a lot, you know that?"

  
        "Hey, I'm allowed to because I'm your older brother," Ryuichi stated.

  
        "I know, I know." Sakae smiled at her brother before turning to L. "T-Thank you for letting me go early."

  
        L nodded. Kohaku moved over to Sakae and hugged her. "Hiya buddy," she said.

  
        "Did you have fun these past couple days?" Sakae asked, hiding a bit of smirk.

  
        "Hmm, maybe." Kohaku poked Sakae's cheek.

  
        "Hey," Sakae swatted at Kohaku's hand. "No poking."

  
        Kohaku laughed. "Sorry. Forgot I wasn't allowed to poke you."

  
        "It's okay. I know that you were just trying to have fun," Sakae said with a smile.

  
        "Mhm. Not that hanging out with L, your idiot brother, and the other idiots wasn't fun. It was, just I was mainly surrounded by idiots and then there is L, the smart one, and the slight smart with a large touch of idiot didn't have a mixture of your randomness in it," Kohaku said, half smiling. Sounded like she was listing ingredients for something. Apparently, slight smart with a large touch of idiot is one recipe for fun while the other is those two things plus a dash of randomness. Who knew.

  
        "I see," Sakae nodded. "But, you still did have fun then?"

  
        "I said that, didn't I?" Kohaku questioned her.

  
        "Just making sure," Sakae teased.

  
        Kohaku stuck her tongue out.

* * *

        It has now been a week since Light, and Mr. Yagami, were put in confinement. Sakae was standing beside Ryuichi. Kohaku was standing behind L along with Matsuda and Aizawa. Light was sitting in front of the bed in his holding cell, staring at the floor.

  
        "Light, you've only been here for one week, but I'm sure it can't be easy. Are you feeling alright?" L asked Light through the communication device.

  
        " _Now that I've come this far, I think it's about time. I hope Sakae and Kohaku will not be mad at me for doing this whenever we all remember. Hopefully, I can prevent them from touching the Death Note again in the future_ ," Light thought. "Yeah. I know I must look pretty bad in here, but this useless pride, I suppose I'll have to get rid of it." Light's eyes had a dark look in them.

  
        "Huh?" Ryuk was doing somewhat of a handstand. He got back on his feet. "Got it. Later." He walked through the wall, leaving. The girls were confused a bit.

  
        The dark look in Light's eyes changed to ones of pure innocence. Light blinked and looked around the cell. " _Why am I doing this? I don't belong here_."

  
        Simultaneously, Kohaku and Sakae felt light-headed from a sudden rush through their heads and they both fell over.

  
        "Sakae!"

  
        "Kohaku!"

  
        Ryuichi caught Sakae while Matsuda caught Kohaku. L jumped out of his chair quickly and moved over to Kohaku who was being held up by Matsuda. Ryuichi was holding up Sakae.

  
        "Are you alright?" L asked Kohaku.

  
        "What happened?" Ryuichi asked Sakae.

  
        Kohaku placed a hand on her head. "I'm fine… I just...felt a sudden head rush, I guess. I'm not sure what just happened..."

  
        Sakae rubbed her head. "W-What the heck?"

  
        Ryuichi frowned slightly. "Maybe you two need to sit down."

  
        After Kohaku and Sakae were placed into chairs encase they were to suddenly fall over again, L went back to his seat and squatted in it.

  
        "Ryuzaki," Light said. "I realize that I was the one pushing for confinement and I asked you to put me in here but I just realized something important; this whole thing is completely pointless."

  
        "Huh?" Matsuda and Aizawa wondered.

  
        "Because I'm not Kira. You have to get me out of here!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "I can't do that. I promised you that no matter what you said, I wouldn't let you out until I was convinced that you were not Kira," L told him, communicating with him through his device.

  
        "Please, L, I wasn't thinking clearly. Do you really think a serial killer like Kira could commit those crimes without being aware of them? If I have no memory of his crimes, I'm not him!" Light exclaimed.

  
        Kohaku and Sakae stared at the footage of Light silently. They were both suddenly very anxious but they weren't confused anymore.

  
        "I've never been able to accept this idea that Kira has been acting without self-awareness all this time but that doesn't change the fact that all the evidence points to you being Kira. We released Sakae two days ago; she is completely cleared of being Kira, leaving just you as our main suspect. Since we imprisoned you, Kira hasn't committed a single murder," L said.

  
        "Listen. Just hear me out. I swear to you I'm not wrong. You have to believe me. I'm not Kira! I must've been framed. That's the only explanation for this!" Light exclaimed.

  
        " _What's wrong with you, Light Yagami?_ " L thought. " _What you're saying is completely absurd, but for some reason, it feels believable to me._ "

  
        "Let him out, L!" Kohaku exclaimed suddenly, getting up. "There's no way he's Kira!"

  
        "He's innocent! Why are you keeping him trapped?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Kohaku, I thought you hated Light," Matsuda said.

  
        What Kohaku said next confused everyone but Sakae. "What are you talking about? I'd never hate Light. He's my best friend."

  
        L, Matsuda, Aizawa, and Ryuichi all looked at her. L, Matsuda, and Aizawa knew that she and Light hardly got along for a while. Ryuichi knew that Kohaku highly disliked Light when she stopped by his home on Sakae's birthday and spoke harshly about Light.

  
        "Best friends?" Matsuda questioned, very confused.

  
        "You told me you disliked Light when you came over on Sakae's birthday," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "What? No, I didn't. Why do you all look confused?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "You are always fussing with Light from what we've seen," Aizawa said.

  
        Kohaku looked genuinely confused. So did Sakae. "All friends fuss. Just because we fussed a few times doesn't mean I hate him."

  
        The reason why the girls seem to be so confused and seem to be lacking memories...was because Kohaku and Sakae both did not remember anything about the Death Note or Light being Kira. They didn't remember most of the arguments Light and Kohaku had. They remembered the things they did with L and the task-force, like Kohaku getting together with L for example, but they don't remember their feelings they had during those moments when Light being Kira was on their minds (since they forgot he was Kira) and things non-kira related.

  
        "You guys are acting odd today," Sakae said.

  
        "We're the ones acting weird?" Ryuichi asked. "Sakae…"

  
        "Yea," Sakae answered.

  
        "We're acting odd?" Matsuda questioned. "You two are acting odd. Mostly you, Kohaku."

  
        "You basically just said what Ryuichi just said," Kohaku told him. "Were you not listening?"

  
        "What the hell is going on here?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "You have to let me out! We're wasting time!" Light yelled, bring everyone's attention back to Light.

  
        L clicked on the device to communicate with Light. "We can't let you out yet."

  
        "Damn! Why is this happening?" Light looked at the floor.

  
        "Seriously, what the hell is going on? This isn't like Light at all. He's contradicting himself. It doesn't make any sense to me," Aizawa said. "Not to mention the girls don't seem to remember certain events."

  
        "Huh?" Kohaku wondered. "What do you mean? Are you sure you guys are okay?"

  
        " _Not only is Light acting different but so are Kohaku and Sakae. Are their sudden changes connected to one another?_ " L thought, his thumb to his lip.

  
        "We can't release Light now that the murders have stopped. It doesn't matter what he says. I mean, even I know that much," Matsuda said.

  
        "Anyway, I don't care what anyone says. As far as I'm concerned we have all the proof we need. Light Yagami is Kira and that's the end of it," Aizawa said.

  
        "Light isn't Kira!" Kohaku exclaimed. "He never was! He should be allowed to roam freely!"

  
        "Why won't you believe us?" Sakae asked.

  
        " _None of this makes sense_ ," L thought. " _What happened? I don't understand..._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With where Sakae, Light, Misa, and Mr. Yagami were being held at… I never actually said where they were. Because I don't even know where the fuck they are. So, let us use our imaginations! They could be in the basement of the hotel, they could be at the police station, they could be in another hotel room.  
>         With Ryuichi coming into the case, he wasn't originally going to be in this chapter until we realized that Ryuichi would notice Sakae's disappearance with her being held in confinement so we were like fuck it. We made it where he can be see a bit more. He may not talk much though.  
>         Also, yes. The layout of the hotel room seems to be changing or at least being described in more detail. We have a problem with leaving details out so we decided to just finally describe somewhat what the hotel room was like. A large room with many walls and sections to be in that count as different rooms sorta. Idk. Don't be mad at me for my confusing words and lack of real life logic.  
>         I understand if you are confused (so am I). You are probably wondering how Sakae and Kohaku lost their memories if they are suppose to get ownership of both Misa and Light's death note after Light forfeits them both. They don't because of two different reasons. I will try my best to explain this shit the best I can.  
>         Light's Death Note: Kohaku, Sakae, and Light all owned it; not just Light himself. Anything can happen in fanfictions, correct? Well, in this fanfiction, 3 people can own a Death Note at once. Light was the main owner of his death note b/c he was the only one who actually wrote in it. Him forfeiting ownership counted as the girls forfeiting too (even if they didn't agree to the forfeiting or if they didn't know of it, which is actually the case to cause some drama in the future when memories return *wink wink* Possible Kohaku x Light fighting scene. Hell yeah). That is how the girls lose their memories and don't get ownership of that Death Note.  
>         Misa's Death Note: Sakae and Kohaku don't get ownership after Light forfeits her notebook turning the switch off of notebooks (unseen) b/c they only touched Misa's notebook to just see Rem. They had no intentions of ever actually using the notebook in the future and them touching them does not count as them becoming future owners of the notebook once forfeited down to another.  
>         It's super confusing, I know. We honestly didn't think about it. I only realized this shit when I was reading Death Note 13: How to Read. I also noticed that quite a few of the Death Note rules will not be used at all/are just non-existent in this fanfiction.


	18. Test

        It has now been 15 days since Light was in confinement. Misa and Mr. Yagami were still in confinement as well. L was watching the TV screen. Aizawa was reading the newspaper. Kohaku was sleeping on the floor. Sakae was also sleeping on the floor. The two of them were, weirdly and oddly, hugging one another. Ryuichi was staring at them.

  
        The reason Sakae and Ryuichi were still there was because Kohaku convinced Sakae to stay and Ryuichi wasn't going anywhere without Sakae. So, Ryuichi went home to get some of their clothing and then came right back. As said, he wasn't going anywhere without Sakae...sort of.

  
        " _Has she done that before?"_ Ryuichi thought as he remembered times his sister was with friends.

  
        Matsuda ran into the room."What's going on!? I just heard two week's worth of criminals were just murdered all at once. It happened yesterday."

  
        "Yeah. Kira is back," Aizawa said, looking away from the newspaper.

  
        "So did you guys already tell the chief?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "No, not yet," Aizawa said.

  
        "Nope," Ryuichi said.

  
        Matsuda quickly went over to where L was and spoke into the device that connected to Mr. Yagami's room. "Guess what, chief?! Kira's started killing again!"

  
        "What?" Mr. Yagami questioned, looking towards the camera.

  
        "It looks like Kira was only resting but now he started punishing criminals again," Matsuda stated.

  
        "Is that true, Matsuda? Then, that means my son… I shouldn't be happy that the people have been killed, but at least Light's name will finally be cleared. Wait. Knowing Ryuzaki, this won't enough to clear him," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        Ryuichi sighed. " _At least, Sakae is okay."_

  
        Aizawa and Matsuda both looked at L. Ryuichi just continues looking at the girls sleeping.

  
        "Well, he's in the gray," L said.

  
        "Did you hear what he just said, chief?" Matsuda asked Mr. Yagami through the communication device.

  
        "Yeah. It's a hell of a lot better than being completely guilty. Thank God," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I'm sure his grays go. He's a shade closer to being cleared. Let's tell Light." Matsuda started reaching towards the device that was connected to Light's room but had his hand smacked away by L.

  
        "Matsuda! I mean, please don't, Mr. Matsuda," L said.

  
        "Matsuda…" Matsuda mumbled, holding his hand that L smacked.

  
        "Hmm?" Ryuichi looked away from the girls and towards L and Matsuda. " _I wonder what happened there."_

  
        "We shouldn't tell him about this," L said.

  
        "Bu...but why not?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        L clicked on the device to speak to Light. "Hello, Light."

  
        "What is it, Ryuzaki?" Light questioned, staring at his feet.

  
        "You've been in here just over two weeks and not a single new criminal has been punished. Now, why make this harder than it has to be? Are you ready to confess?" L questioned.

  
        Light looked towards the camera. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm telling you you're wrong. I understand why you feel that way, but even if the evidence does point to me, I swear to you this is a setup. I am not Kira! Zoom in on me if you want. Go ahead. Look on my eyes. You tell me; do these look like the eyes of someone who is lying?"

  
        L clicked on the device to speak to Misa. "Amane. Are you ready to tell me who Kira is or not?"

  
        "Huh, that again? I wish I knew, but I don't. Because if I did, I'll thank him for punishing the burglar who killed my parents. To me, Kira is a hero," Misa said.

  
        " _Now, I really don't understand what's going on here,"_ L thought.

  
        Kohaku yawned and started to sit up or at least, she tried to. Sakae had a grip on her, hugging her tightly as she slept. Kohaku giggled. L, Aizawa, Matsuda, and Ryuichi looked towards the girls.

  
        "A little help here?" Kohaku giggled. This situation she was in was just tickling her funny bone; it was just so amusing to her for some reason.

  
        "That is just too cute…" Ryuichi whispered with a smile before going over to help Kohaku out of Sakae's grip.

  
        "Does she do that often?" L questioned, a tad curious.

  
        "When she was younger, yes, especially after our parents died. I'm surprised she still does it." Ryuichi slowly pulled Kohaku from Sakae, trying to keep from waking her. Unsuccessful in his endeavor, Sakae awoke.

  
        "What's going on?" Sakae slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Ryuichi and Kohaku. "It's cold down here." Kohaku and Ryuichi smiled a bit.

  
        "Get up sleepyhead before you become just like me: sleeping every chance I can get which is almost any time really," Kohaku said.

  
        "I just needed a nap, that's all," Sakae mumbled before getting up.

  
        "Tired, aren't we?" Ryuichi ruffled Sakae's hair, only for her to swat at him. He laughed a little and pulled Sakae into a hug.

  
        "Awww. Sibling love. I wish I had that," Kohaku cooed and pouted at the same time.

  
        "But you do still have love, Kohaku," Sakae stated then glanced over at L.

  
        Kohaku noticed her glancing towards L. "You're right. That is much better." Kohaku went over to L. She leaned down and kissed him real quick, leaving him blushing. "Anything new?"

  
        "Other than Kira returning yesterday, nothing has really happened," Aizawa answered.

  
        "Kira returned?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "Yeah. We told Mr. Yagami but Ryuzaki won't allow us to tell Light," Matsuda said.

  
        "Hmm? Why is that?" Sakae questioned.

  
        Kohaku gave L a questioning look. "Why not?"

  
        "It is only to see if he will confess," L stated, staring at Kohaku and studying her face expression. She looked very anxious; very worried.

  
        "...I guess that...makes sense," Kohaku said slowly, frowning. "I still don't like that Light is being confined and I don't like that he is being left in the dark. You'll tell him eventually, right? That Kira is back?"

  
        L nodded shortly. "Of course, if he turns out not to be Kira."

  
        Kohaku sighed but nodded. "Okay."

  
        " _I wonder when that will be,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        " _Interesting,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "I'm getting a bit hungry," Matsuda said.

  
        "Yeah, me too," Aizawa commented.

  
        "Kohaku could make you something. Although, all she can really make are desserts," L stated. He was still looking at Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku blushed a bit. "Yeah, but I could try following a recipe for something that everyone else can eat...that isn't a dessert…"

  
        "Why not, Ryuichi? He's good when it comes to cooking," Sakae suggested.

  
        "Sakae, I only dabble. I'm not that good," Ryuichi stated.

  
        "You're a good cook though," Sakae stated with a pout.

  
        "Maybe I can make some dessert for L while you two make food for everyone else. It'll be fun. Plus, if you two finish early, you could help me. Or if I finish early, I could try to help you," Kohaku suggested. "How's that?"

  
        "Sounds good," Sakae said while nodding.

  
        "I guess," Ryuichi said.

  
        "Onward to the kitchen then." Kohaku grabbed their hands and started dragging them both to the kitchen area.

  
        "Have fun," L stated with slight emotion.

  
        "We will!" Sakae and Kohaku both called out. Soon the three were out of sight, having moved past a wall.

  
        "Kohaku has gotten a bit...happier and more cheerful since her memories seemed to vanish," Matsuda commented.

  
        "Yeah and Sakae seems a little less stressed since that happened," Aizawa commented. "Come to think of it, Kohaku seems a little less stressed as well."

  
        "Hmm," L mumbled, pressing his thumb to his mouth. " _Something's not adding up here...but what?"_

  
        In the kitchen, the girls and Ryuichi were getting things out to make dessert and such. Since Kohaku knew the layout more, she got the recipe book from a cabinet and tossed it to Ryuichi.

  
        He caught the book. "Thanks but I've already have something in mind," He stated, setting the book on the counter. "What are you going to be making, Kohaku?"

  
        "Whatever comes to my mind," she said.

  
        "Best way, honestly," Ryuichi said, heading over to the fridge. "So, what do we have to work with here?"

  
        "Probably not much. I don't really pay attention to what's in the fridge. Considering that L only eats sweets and stuff, there probably isn't much. If there is a lot of shit, I will be highly surprised and question if L really only eats sweets and stuff," Kohaku said.

  
        "Everyone still needs other foods then sweets. Lucky enough, everything needed is here in the fridge." Ryuichi pulled out a package of bread as well as some mozzarella cheese with tomatoes and sliced onions.

  
        Kohaku poked Sakae, seemingly forgetting that she was suppose to fix something for L. "You gonna be helping Ryuichi?"

  
        "Yea, is that okay?" Sakae asked.

  
        "That's adorable," Kohaku commented. "I shall watch before I start working on the dessert thing. Yeah."

  
        Sakae walked over to Ryuichi. "So, where do we begin first?"

  
        "First." Ryuichi laid the several pieces of bread onto an oven pan. "We lay the cheese onto the bread. Then put it in the oven around 350 degrees." The two began to lay the cheese slices on the bread. After that was done, Ryuichi tuned the oven to 350 degrees and laid the pan in there.

  
        "That's surprisingly easy," Sakae commented, looking through the oven glass. "Is there something else that needs to be done to them?"

  
        "We add tomato slices onto the melted cheese, as well as layering an onion slice on it. Sprinkle some turkey bacon on there and it's good," Ryuichi explained. "It's meant to be a snack; something that can hold you over to dinner or lunch."

  
        "Sweet." Sakae smiled up at her brother then looked back at the oven. Sometime went by and the cheese was melted nicely onto the bread. Ryuichi pulled the pan out of the oven and set it on the counter. Sakae took a knife and began to carefully cut the tomato.

  
        "Good job." Ryuichi grabbed a tomato slice, placing into only one of the bread slices. Putting on the onion slice, Ryuichi examined the slice. "Looks good; just have to add the turkey bacon."

  
        Sakae finished cutting the tomato and put the slices onto the bread. "Lovely," she commented.

  
        "You did good cutting those tomato slices. It's kind of hard to do something like that without a sharpened knife or skilled hand," Ryuichi commented to his sister.

  
        "I see," Sakae placed onion slices onto the bread. "Done?

  
        Sprinkling on the turkey bacon, Ryuichi nodded. "They are done."

  
        The two smiled at each other, and proceeded to put their cooking onto a plate.

  
        "Teamwork is awesome, isn't it?" Kohaku questioned, smiling. "I should start making the dessert. Curse my laziness. I should've worked on it while you two cooked."

  
        Sakae laughed a little. "I guess you got sidetracked?"

  
        "I just remembered something." Kohaku skipped to the fridge. She pulled out a container from it. "I made some dessert last night but it had to be chilled for 6 hours. Long wait but it was worth it."

  
        "What made you remember it?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "Yeah," Sakae said.

  
        "The recipe popped into my head and I recalled making it yesterday. I forgot all about it up until I thought of the recipe again," Kohaku said. "Anyways." She took off the lid. "It's an oreo icebox cake thing. Hopefully, L will like it."

  
        "Look good," Sakae commented, looking at what Kohaku made the day before.

  
        "Shall we go serve the men their food?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "Indeed we shall," Sakae said, smiling.

  
        The three of them delivered the food to the men and had a fabulous time eating. Kohaku got a kiss from L for making a great dessert. Sakae and Ryuichi had a pat on the back by everyone else because a hug would just be plain awkward.

* * *

        It is now day 50 of Light's confinement. L was sitting in his normal position in a chair in front of the TV. Matsuda and Aizawa stood behind him a little ways back. Kohaku and Sakae were in chairs on either side of L. Ryuichi stood behind Sakae, his hand on her shoulder.

  
        Kohaku was once again wearing L's clothing. She been doing so since the first time she wore his clothing and decided that they'd just share his clothing until she wasn't too lazy to go home and get some of her own clothing, which also happened to be male clothing. She was staring at the screen, sitting in her normal position in her chair to L's right. " _I hope Light isn't in confinement for much longer. It must really suck…"_

  
        Sakae was wearing just a normal outfit any normal eighteen-year-old girl would; emphasis on the normal. She was wearing a fabulous shirt and some jeans that any girl would wear, minus Kohaku who loves jeans that guys wear. " _Don't worry, Light. You'll be out soon."_

  
        Ryuichi was wearing something that was somewhat formal and somewhat not formal. He was wearing jeans and a normal gray t-shirt but had on a formal jacket for...whatever reason.

  
        L clicked on the device to communicate with Mr. Yagami. "Mr. Yagami, are you alright? There's no reason for you to keep doing this to yourself."

  
        "It's been over a month since Kira started killing criminals again And as far as I'm concerned, that's all the proof I need to be sure that my son isn't Kira. So then all that left is for you to be sure. One way or another when I get out of here, it will be with my son," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        Kohaku frowned. " _Why did this all have to happen? Damn you, Kira. Because of you, me and my bestfriends were brought into a world of bullshit and...love. Okay, you did one thing good. You brought people together but that doesn't change the bullshit you caused, Kira. Gosh, Light. I hope L lets you out soon. You are not Kira."_

  
        Sakae looked at the footage of Light. He was laying on the floor. He looked exhausted to the extreme. " _Poor Light. I hope he doesn't have to go through this much longer,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        Ryuichi noticed Sakae's anxious look but not Kohaku's. "Are you alright?"

  
        "Huh?" Sakae looked at Ryuichi. "Oh, I'm fine."

  
        "Wow. The chief can be pretty stubborn," Matsuda commented.

  
        "Yeah…" Kohaku whispered. She felt someone place their hand on her shoulder. She glanced to see that it had been L. He was still looking at the screen but still, the attempted comfort was a little cute.

  
        Using the hand that wasn't on Kohaku's shoulder, L clicked the device that allowed him to communicate with Light. "Light, how are you feeling right now?"

  
        " _He probably feels like shit…"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        Light spoke a bit slowly. "Ah, I'm OK. Ryuzaki, I know that in the time I've been in prison no new criminals have died. However, that suggests to me that Kira must be someone who's intimately familiar with my situation and if that's the case…"

  
        "No, Light. The reason criminals have stopped dying is because you are Kira," L said.

  
        "No! I'm not Kira! How many times do I have to say it?!" Light exclaimed.

  
        " _If Light were Kira, he'd know that I was bluffing. So, why is he getting so upset? He honestly seems clueless,"_ L thought.

  
        Sakae frowned. " _When will L let Light now that criminals are being killed? This has been going on too long…"_

  
        "L, you really need to tell Light that criminals have been being killed. You shouldn't let him stay in the dark for much longer," Kohaku said.

  
        "I agree. This is just cruel. I don't care if he is a suspect. Light has a right to know that criminals are being killed again," Aizawa said.

  
        "I can't believe you agreed with me," Kohaku stated.

  
        "This is all really confusing," Sakae mumbled to herself before she exited that section of the room.

  
        "Did you say something, Sakae?" Ryuichi asked as he followed his sister.

  
        L clicks on the device to communicate with Misa. "Amane."

  
        Misa was slumped over in the footage, still in the bindings. "Yes."

  
        "Are you okay? You seem tired," L said.

  
        "Is that supposed to be funny? How are you expecting me to look after being tied up and questioned for this many days?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Hm, that's true," L stated.

  
        "Please just let me go. I want to see Light. Please. Light. Let me," Misa begged.

  
        "Misa…" Kohaku mumbled.

  
        "Ahh, I'm not sure how much more of this three of them can take," Matsuda said.

  
        "Yeah…" Kohaku stood up and L dropped his hand from her shoulder. She turned to look at him. "You need to let Light and Misa go. Once Light is free, Mr. Yagami will want to get out too. Please don't let them suffer through this any longer."

  
        "I'm afraid I cannot let them free," L stated.

  
        "Come on, L! Please! You have to let them go!" Kohaku begged.

  
        L sighed and said nothing. Kohaku clenched her fists, giving up. She headed to another section of the room like Ryuichi and Sakae did earlier, feeling tears forming in her eyes. Her feelings were getting out of control. She didn't want to end up harming L or anyone else so she might as well get a hug from the siblings; they were practically family. L frowned as he heard Kohaku walk off.

  
        "Ryuzaki, you have no reason to keep Light locked up any more. Do the right thing and let him go. Then we can get the chief out, too. Criminals are still being killed, even though Misa and Light haven't had access to any of that information," Aizawa said. "We know that much already, so are you waiting for?"

  
        "Not true. All we really know at this point is that Amane has unnaturally strong devotion for Light Yagami," L said.

  
        "Ryuzaki, I'm sorry, but with all due respect, from where I'm standing, it's starting to look like you are only doing this because you don't want to admit that you were wrong about Light," Aizawa said.

  
        "Yes. I figured you'd say that," L said.

  
        "OK, fine! But we do know that Kira killed Lind L. Tailor and those FBI agents, right As Light said, if Kira could kill while under surveillance and without access to information, there would've been no need. If they didn't pose a threat to him, then why would he bother killing them? Kira doesn't kill without a good reason. I've heard you say so yourself on more than one occasion," Aizawa said.

  
        "Oh I see. If he was able to kill under these circumstances, then he wouldn't have been concerned about those FBI agents in the first place," Matsuda said.

  
        "It's already been 50 days. There's no point to this any more. Ryuzaki, it's time to start looking for the real Kira," Aizawa said.

  
        L was silent for a moment before speaking. "Yes, I understand." He clicked on the device to talk to Mr. Yagami. "Mr. Yagami."

  
        "Yes, what is it?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Would you be willing to come to headquarters, just once? I'd like to discuss my thought with you, but it must be done in person. However, above all else I need to talk to you as Light's father," L said.

  
        "All right. I'll come," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        With Ryuichi and the girls, they were standing around the kitchen. Sakae and Kohaku were hugging each other, crying; something that Sakae did sometimes and that Kohaku rarely did.

  
        "I hate this bullshit," Kohaku cried. "Light, Mr. Yagami, and Misa have to go through so much shit just because L thinks Light could be Kira. Light isn't Kira so it is all a waste of time!"

  
        "I just wish we could prove their innocence," Sakae said, still sobbing.

  
        Ryuichi pulls both of the girls towards him, giving them both a hug. "Hey, hey; it's okay."

  
        Kohaku blinks and sniffles. "You are acting weird. Not once have you hugged me."

  
        "You've never cried around me before," Ryuichi said.

  
        "...True," Kohaku mumbled, sniffling some more.

  
        "Apart of being a big brother," Sakae mentioned.

  
        "I guess," Ryuichi replied. Sakae nodded in response.

  
        "I really hope that L will get a sudden change of heart and let Misa & Light go," Kohaku said, wiping her tears.

  
        "Me too," Sakae said.

  
        "We can only see," Ryuichi told them.

* * *

        Matsuda, Aizawa, L, Ryuichi, Sakae, and Kohaku were looking at the TV screen. On the screen was footage of the inside of a car. Inside that car were Light, Misa, and Mr. Yagami. Misa and Light were in the backseat, their hands cuffed behind their backs, while Mr. Yagami was driving. Kohaku, Sakae, and Ryuichi were confused. They hadn't been in the room when L explained his place to Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, and Aizawa since they had left the hotel for a bit to escape from the nonsense.

  
        "What's going on?" Ryuichi questioned.

  
        "Um… yeah, what's going on? How much did we miss?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "Has Light been cleared?!" Sakae exclaimed, slightly excited. "Please tell me he was cleared."

  
        "Just watch quietly," L instructed.

  
        "Um...okay," Sakae said, frowning now. " _Something doesn't feel right…"_

  
        " _What the fuck is going on?"_ Kohaku thought, staring at the screen.

  
        " _Hmm...this doesn't look good,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        Light began to talk on the live footage. "I was starting to think I'd never get out of there but it feels good to finally be cleared."

  
        "No. I'm afraid you two are being taken to your execution," Mr. Yagami stated.

  
        "Huh?" Light and Misa both questioned in a worried tone.

  
        " _W...What? Execution?"_ Kohaku thought. " _N-No way… I can't be. L wouldn't… It has to be a test to see if Light or Misa are Kira. That has to be what this is."_

  
        " _What the-!"_ Sakae stared at them, shocked.

  
        " _What could he have up his sleeve?"_ Ryuichi thought as he looked at L.

  
        "I wanted to be the one to escort you to the execution site. It was secretly built in an underground facility not far from here," Mr. Yagami said on the live footage of the car.

  
        "Execution? What the hell are you talking about?" Light asked frantically.

  
        "Isn't this a joke? We didn't do anything! Please don't do this," Misa said.

  
        "L is convinced that you are Kira, Light, and that Misa Amane is the second Kira. He is convinced that the only way we can prevent the murder is to execute the two of you," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I don't understand that. The killings have already stopped," Light said.

  
        "No. They never stopped," Mr. Yagami told him.

  
        "They never...? That's not what he told me, so he was lying?" Light questioned.

  
        "L was trying to get a confession out of you, Light. He would've said anything. But at this point that's not the problem. It's political now. You see, L's suggestion that the killings would stop if you two were eliminated was unanimously accepted by top officials of the UN and the Japanese government. They want Kira to disappear. No trial, no publicity," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "But that's completely insane. Please, Dad, I'm not Kira!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "That's right. What kind of father are you, anyway? This is your own son you're talking about!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "L made this decision, not me. And his word is absolute. Over the years he's tackled the most difficult cases, solving all of them. He's never been wrong," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "You trust L more than you trust me, your own son?" Light questioned.

  
        "L went so far as to stake his life on this theory. If killings don't stop, then he too will be executed," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        " _That confirms it. This is a test. L wouldn't have himself executed just because of being wrong. That is extremely unlike L,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        " _Hmm? Confusing, that he is,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        " _What the heck is he thinking?"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        "Huh? L said that?" Light questioned. His eyes were wide. "What could he be thinking? I know that, given the material evidence, this might seem like the only logical solution. But he is making a mistake! How could L come to this conclusion? Something's not right here. It's just... It's, it's not like L at all! The L I know would rely on hard evidence. He has to have the truth! Is he really planning to end it like this?"

  
        " _See? That is completely out of character for L,"_ Kohaku thought. " _This truly is a test but that doesn't make me any less anxious."_

  
        " _Interesting,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "All right. We're almost there," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        Not too long later, the car came to a complete stop in the middle of nowhere.

  
        " _Hm?"_ Kohaku wondered. " _I wonder where this is going."_

  
        " _What's going to happen?"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        " _Let's see where this goes,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "Where are we right now? Why did you bring us out to the middle of nowhere. What is this?" Light questioned.

  
        "Wait a sec. I bet he brought us here to let us go," Misa said, smiling for a split second.

  
        "This will do. Looks like there's nobody around to see us out here. I decided that it would be better for us if I brought you here instead of the execution site. Listen to me." Mr. Yagami turned to look at Light. "I'm going to kill you here and then kill myself."

  
        "What!? What are you talking about, Dad? You can't! That's crazy!" Light exclaimed. Tears were forming in his eyes.

  
        Misa was close to crying too. "You kill your own son for L? If you wanna die so bad, why don't you kill yourself? If you do this, you're no different than Kira!"

  
        Mr. Yagami glared at Misa. "I am nothing like Kira. I am bound by my responsibilities as a parent and as the chief of the NPA."

  
        "Dad, come on! She's right! Think about it; if we die here, the truth will never be revealed. Please Dad, you have to let us escape!" Light exclaimed.

  
        " _This is psychological torture. Why are they doing this?"_ Sakae thought as she watched the screens.

  
        " _This is intense. Holy shit,"_ Kohaku thought. She remained quiet as she watched the live feed.

  
        Ryuichi watched silently still, not sure what to think about the situation anymore.

  
        Mr. Yagami reached into his jacket. "It's too late. Either way, you will be executed. At least with this, I will be the one to do it." He pointed a gun to Light's head.

  
        "Please stop, Dad. I'm not Kira! If I die here, Kira wins. Can't you see?" Light questioned, freaking out a bit.

  
        Mr. Yagami pressed the gun to Light's head more. He glanced at Misa. "Amane, I'm going to die here with my son, but I have no reason to kill you. Do you understand what I'm saying?

  
        It's only a matter of time before the police locate this car. Then they'll transport you to the original site and execute you there." Mr. Yagami got ready to shot Light. "Light, my son. From one murder to another, I'll see you in hell."

  
        Light shut his eyes tightly. "No, Dad!"

  
        Misa started to cry. "No! Stop it!"

  
        There was a loud bang. Sakae and Kohaku jumped a bit at the sound. Light's eyes were wide open now and he was leaning against the backseat, staring at the gun in his father's hand.

  
        " _Blank or not, that gave me a heart attack or at least an anxiety attack or some shit,"_ Kohaku said. She placed her hands on her chest. Sakae did something similar. " _I hate guns period."_

  
        Ryuichi, L, Aizawa, and Matsuda shot a concern look their way but Kohaku just waved her hand and gave them a thumbs up that she would be okay. Sakae smiled a little, hoping not to worry them.

  
        "You...used a blank?" Light questioned his father slowly.

  
        Mr. Yagami sighed in relief and relaxed in his seat. "Oh, thank goodness."

  
        "Thank goodness? What's going on? I don't understand," Light said, very confused.

  
        "Please forgive me, you too. I know that was hard on you, but it was the only way I can get you out of prison. You must understand. I only agreed to do this because I believed in your innocence, Light. Were you watching, Ryuzaki? I did exactly as you said, and as you can see, I'm still alive," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Yes, it was a convincing performance. If Amane were the second Kira, who only needs to see a person's face to kill them, there's no doubt she would have killed you before you had a chance to fire your weapon. Also if Light was in fact Kira, the Kira I know wouldn't hesitate to kill even his own father to save himself. With Light, in particular, I cannot rule out the possibility that he may've seen through all our act at some point, however as we agreed, I will end their confinement immediately. And as we discussed, Amane will remain under surveillance until Kira is apprehended. Although she insists the tapes we found were just occult videos, the physical evidence we have, plus her confession, suggest otherwise," L said through a communication device connected to the camera hidden in the car.

  
        "Hey!" Misa exclaimed. "No fair! You still suspect me?"

  
        "She may be my friend but I have to admit that she is very fucking annoying," Kohaku mumbled. "Her voice, I mean. It annoys the shit out of me…"

  
        Sakae half-smiled and patted Kohaku's shoulder. "That I have to agree with."

  
        "If I were you, I wouldn't complain. You get to go back to your normal life. If you are innocent, the surveillance shouldn't be a threat to you. Think of it as complimentary police protection," Mr. Yagami said to Misa.

  
        "Oh, I get it. Since I'm not the second Kira, it'll be kinda like I have my very own private body guards," Misa said, speaking calmly now.

  
        "As for your part in this agreement, Light, you and I would take together twenty four-seven, and that's how we'll remain until we brought Kira to justice," L said as he spoke through the communication device again.

  
        Light blinked a few times before grinning. "Fine by me. We'll catch Kira together."

  
        "Yes. I look forward to working with you," L told Light before releasing the button on the communicating device.

  
        Sakae walked over to a couch and sat down. Ryuichi sat on the arm of the couch next to her. They looked at each other before staring back at the group in front of them. "So, what are your thoughts on all of this?" Ryuichi asked his little sister.

  
        Sakae shrugged a little bit. "I don't know honestly. I just feel like something is missing almost. There is some big picture that I only know a little part of. You know what I mean?"

  
        "I guess I could see. You see something right in front of you but a tidbit of information that is missing to be able to figure something out; such as the reason Mom and Dad were murdered," Ryuichi said, looking down at his sister.

  
        "Yea, that's still unknown to us. I wish we could find out." Sakae pulled her knees to her chest. "I miss them. Maybe…they'd still be here-"

  
        "Don't you dare start that, Sakae. Enough with blaming yourself; Mom and Dad don't want you doing that. Okay?" Ryuichi scolded.

  
        Sakae smiled a little bit. "Yes, sir; I'll try my best but can't promise anything."

  
        "I just want you to try," Ryuichi said with a small smile. "And once this mess is over, we can return to normal life."

  
        "Yea, I'd like that," Sakae nodded before staring at everyone in front of her. " _Why do I have a feeling that won't happen?"_ She looked at Kohaku.

  
        "Well... After watching that intense moment, I am gonna go eat some dark chocolate and try to relax. My heart's still racing from that damn blank going off." Kohaku headed out of the section of the room they were currently, and were basically always, in. "I hate guns." She headed right to the fridge and pulled out one of the many dark chocolate bars that were stacked inside the fridge, at the top.

  
        L walked into the kitchen, which was where Kohaku was. "Everything okay?" He asked.

  
        Kohaku nodded and took the wrapping off her chocolate. She bit into it. "Everything is fine."

  
        "Enjoying the chocolate then?" L asked.

  
        Kohaku smiled. "I always enjoy eating dark chocolate."

  
        "Mind if I have a piece?" L asked.

  
        "Sure." Kohaku didn't bother breaking off a piece and held the partially eaten dark chocolate bar near L's mouth.

  
        L took the piece of chocolate and ate it. "Thank you."

  
        "Mhm." Kohaku kissed his cheek.

  
        L blushes a little bit then smiled. "I love you."

  
        Kohaku giggled. "That was a little random but I love you too, L. Always will. That's a promise."

  
        "Always," L replied then kisses Kohaku's cheek.


	19. Cuffed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and L are cuffed to each other.

        It is the same day as the false execution test. Light, Mr. Yagami, and Misa were in the hotel room with Aizawa, Matsuda, Ryuichi, Kohaku, L, and Sakae. L and Light were handcuffed to each other. Mr. Yagami and Aizawa were the only ones sitting down.

  
        "Well, this should be fun," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Oh, lovely." Sakae smiled a little bit.

  
        Light looks at them. They just smile at him. Light ends up smiling back and shakes his head. "You two sure are something."

  
        Kohaku laughed. "Yes. We know. You don't have to keep saying that, Light."

  
        "I felt like saying it," Light said.

  
        Sakae laughed a little bit. "Always saying something of that kind." She kisses Light's cheek. Misa pouts at seeing this, wishing it were her that was dating Light, considering that she still believes Sakae and Light are dating.

  
        Light smiled a bit more before he looked at the cuff on his right wrist. "Are you sure this is necessary, Ryuzaki?" He looked at L.

  
        L was holding up his left arm where the cuff was around his wrist. "This is as difficult for me as it is for you."

  
        "So is this what you meant by being together 24 hours a day with him? Looking at you, I never would have guessed. Are you on that side of the fence, Ryuzaki?" Misa questioned, not really thinking about what she was saying.

  
        Kohaku started laughing. L cracked a smile at Kohaku's reaction but soon returned to his emotionless face expression as he looked at Misa and said, "I told you I'm not doing this because I want to. OK?"

  
        "But Light belongs to… Sakae. She wouldn't wanna share him with you. If you are with him 24/7, then how are they supposed to go on dates together?" Misa questioned. She wanted to say Light belonged to her but Light wasn't hers.

  
        "Wait, what?" Ryuichi questioned before looking at Sakae and Light.

  
        Matsuda blinked. "Wait? You two are dating?"

  
        "Um, well…" Light blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head.

  
        Sakae blushed as well and was about to say something when Kohaku said something instead: "Of course they are dating. Was it only obvious to me that they liked each other?"

  
        "I knew they liked each other. I just didn't know about the dating," Ryuichi said, looking at Sakae.

  
        "Sorry?" Sakae shrugged a little.

  
        "What about the dating thing?" Misa questioned. "How can they date with you around all the time?"

  
        "Oh, they can still go on dates, but it'll have to be the three of us," L said.

  
        "Four," Kohaku commented. "It'll be like a double date." L smiled and kissed her cheek.

  
        Misa's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! I didn't know you two got together!" She looked at L. "I am sorry I asked if you were gay! I didn't think that you and Kohaku would actually end up together since sometimes people who are alike don't get together."

  
        "That...was one of few smart-ish things I have ever heard you say," Sakae stated.

  
        Kohaku laughed and patted Misa's head. "You are forgiven, Misa. Right, Ryuzaki?" L nodded.

  
        Misa smiled and then started thinking back to the previous conversation. "So, are you telling me that Light and Sakae have to kiss in front of you and stuff?"

  
        "Huh?" Sakae looked confused, trying to take in everything that was being said while Light just kind of blushes a little.

  
        " _At least I don't have to worry about her being without supervision,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        "I'm not telling them to do anything, but yes, I suppose I'll be watching," L commented.

  
        "And doing the same with me most likely," Kohaku commented, causing L to blush a little.

  
        "Do we really have to talk about this?" L questioned, slightly uncomfortable. Kohaku laughed.

  
        "That's so gross that you'd watch Light and Sakae make-out. You really are a pervert, aren't you?" Misa questioned Ryuzaki.

  
        "Light, please make Misa stop talking now," L begged. He felt that Misa would listen to Light the most for some strange reason. Perhaps he knew that Misa 'loved' Light?

  
        "Listen, Misa. That's enough. The police have already established that it was you who sent those tapes. So you are lucky to even be here right now. They have every right to keep you in prison," Light said.

  
        "How could you even say that, Light? In case you forgot, I'm your best-friend. Don't you trust your best-friend?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Eh, what do you mean 'best-friend'?" Light questioned. "We haven't known each other long enough to even be considered best-friends."

  
        "Are you taking advantage of my friendship?" Misa started to hit Light on the chest. "Stupid, stupid…"

  
        "About this friendship, it happened in Aoyama on May 22nd, didn't it?" L asked.

  
        "So what?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Why did you choose that day to go to Aoyama and do you remember what you wore?" L asked.

  
        "It's like I told you. I just happened to go there. I don't know why, I don't remember how I felt, and I don't even know what I was wearing. Anyway, since when do I need a reason to hang out in Aoyama, huh?" Misa questioned, getting a bit angry.

  
        "And somehow when you came back from Aoyama, you knew that you were friends with some guy and that his name was Light," L said.

  
        "Yes! Then I met Sakae and Kohaku," Misa said.

  
        "Wait, but Sakae was with Light at Aoyama," Kohaku said. "Right?"

  
        "Not the whole time. I did get lost in the crowd at one point," Sakae said.

  
        "Oh. That makes sense," Kohaku said. "I am no longer confused. Carry on." Light and Sakae laughed. Ryuichi smiled a bit, remaining quiet. Mr. Yagami even cracked a smile as he continued to watch everyone silently.

  
        "Hmm." L stared at Misa. "You are friends with Light yet you yourself have no idea how you came to know his name."

  
        Misa got in his face. "Yes, so what?"

  
        "Tell me, what if Light was Kira? How would it make you feel?" L asked.

  
        "Why the hell would you ask her that kind of question?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "Shh, I want to hear what she says," Sakae hushed Kohaku.

  
        "How would I feel if Light was Kira?" Misa wondered.

  
        "That's right," L said.

  
        "That would be wonderful. I mean, I've always been grateful to Kira for punishing the man who murdered my parents. So if I found out that Light was actually Kira, that would be like a bonus for me because it would turn out that Kira had been my friend all along!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "It's Kira, though. You'd love him even more for that? I mean, wouldn't you be afraid? What if he tried to kill you?" L questioned.

  
        "Is that really necessary?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Shh, I want to hear what she says," Kohaku said, mimicking what Sakae said earlier.

  
        "You're talking about Light being Kira? He wouldn't be scary at all. I'm a supporter of Kira, so if I found out Light was actually him, I'd think of how I could be helpful," Misa said.

  
        "Hmm, That's very generous of you, but I'm pretty sure Kira doesn't need your help. Well, Misa, based on what you have just told me, there can be no mistake that you are the second Kira, but you've made it so painfully obvious that I don't really want to believe it," L said.

  
        "Whatever. It's not believable because I'm not the second Kira, OK?" Misa hugged onto Light and Sakae's arm (they were standing beside each other). She stuck her tongue out at L, who stood across from them.

  
        Kohaku laughed. "So childish." She had been standing near L the whole time.

  
        "Anyway for the time being, you'll remain under surveillance. When you do go out, if needed, you'd be able to contact us using this room's extension. For the most part of your life will return to normal. But from now on, for all private and work related affairs, Mr. Matsuda would be accompanying you as your new manager, Matsui," L said.

  
        Matsuda waved. "Matsui, here!"

  
        "Your MC is being paid to keep quiet and the police don't know. Don't lose cover," L said.

  
        "This old guy is my manager? Oh, you can't be serious!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "Hey! He isn't that old," Kohaku defended Matsuda.

  
        "What's wrong with me, Misamisa? Is it the tie 'cause I can't get in…" Matsuda began to say.

  
        Aizawa slammed his hands on the table and stood. He glared at Misa. "Would you cut it out with all these dating and kissing and Misamisa talk already! This is the Kira investigation. Stop messing around!"

  
        "Sorry about that, Aizawa," Matsuda apologized.

  
        "No, it's all right. I just figured out what the problem is. Misa Amane, it's time for you to go to your room," Aizawa said. He went over to Misa and started to push her out the room.

  
        "Why!?" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "Out you go!" Aizawa slammed the door in her face after he pushed her out into the hallway without a second thought. Like she'd leave the hotel. She'd stay anywhere that Light was at.

  
        "I have to admit that she is very annoying...and it isn't just her voice that makes her annoying," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Agreed," Sakae sighed slightly.

  
        "What's another reason why she is annoying to you?" Light asked Kohaku.

  
        "She's in love with you," Kohaku commented. "She's totally obsessed."

  
        "Right. There's that fact," Light said. "But that's completely one-sided. I don't like or love her like that."

  
        "I know. You like and love Sakae like that," Kohaku said. "Right?"

  
        "Like, of course; with love, I honestly don't know," Light answered.

  
        "I can see that. Love takes time to grow," Ryuichi stated.

  
        "Mhm," Kohaku mumbled. "Sure does. It could takes months, a few years. Hell, in some cases, it just takes a couple of days, depending on the person."

  
        "Either way, no matter how love grows, it's still wonderful," Sakae said. "And beautiful in a way."

  
        "Sure is." Kohaku reached towards L's arm, pulled his hand out of his pants pocket, and held his hand. She half-smiled at him. L smiled back at her.

  
        "Aww!" Sakae smiled a little. "With you two, love is definitely wonderful and beautiful."

  
        "In my opinion, relationships are complicated," Ryuichi stated.

  
        "Oh?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "Just my thoughts personally," Ryuichi answered.

  
        "Oh, I see… You know, we need a...bigger hotel room," Kohaku stated as she looked around. "I mean, it's kind of cramped with all of us in one hotel room."

  
        "I agree with that," Light said.

  
        "Funny you should mention that. I arranged for a facility to be built. Construction started right after my first meeting with Mr. Yagami and the others. It should be finished in a few days," L said.

  
        Kohaku blinked and looked at him. "Really? Wow, you sure know how to plan ahead."

  
        "Wow," Sakae whispered.

  
        L headed to his laptop, bringing Light with him since they were cuffed to each other. Everyone else followed and looked at the laptop screen. L clicked on things on his laptop. "Where is it?" The outside of the building he spoke of appeared. "There is it. 23 floors above ground and 2 below. Although it's impossible to see from the outside, there are two helicopters hidden on the roof."

  
        "That's amazing," Light commented.

  
        "That's beyond awesome," Kohaku commented, smiling. "Like way beyond awesome!"

  
        "Damn. That's going to be freaking huge," Ryuichi said to himself.

  
        "How was this kept a secret?" Sakae wondered.

  
        "Ideally, I want all of us to spend as much time here as possible. If the investigation team grows, we can accommodate up to 60 people. Misa shouldn't have any complains since she will have her own floor," L said.

  
        "This is truly impressive for you to go to such a length!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "Hold on a second. Where did you find the finances to build this thing?" Matsuda asked.

  
        "As you can see, it is my intention to solve this case no matter what it takes. That's how it is," L said, avoiding giving the true answer.

  
        Aizawa sweat dropped. "I'm sorry, but how is that an answer?"

  
        "No, he is right. The mass killings are bad enough already, but personally, I'll never forgive Kira for putting my Dad, Sakae, Kohaku, and I through this. I wanna solve this no matter what it takes," Light said.

  
        Sakae nodded, "Let's do it."

  
        "Count me in," Ryuichi said.

  
        "Yeah!" Kohaku exclaimed. "Let's do this shit!"

  
        Aizawa was half-smiling, sort of. "Ryuzaki, Chief Yagami, Light, Sakae, Ryuichi, let's get out of here and bring Kira to justice."

  
        "Excuse me, I can't help but notice you missed my name," Matsuda commented.

  
        "Mine too," Kohaku commented. "Looks like we're both outcasts, Matsui." She patted his shoulder. "Though, I am quite use to it." Matsuda smiled a little but noticed the glare L sent his way and quickly moved away from Kohaku, making her laugh a bit.

  
        Light looked at Sakae. "Sakae, I need to talk to you. Alone."

  
        "Um...okay?" Sakae said, looking confused.

  
        "How would you be able to do that?" Ryuichi asked, gesturing to the cuffs that connected Light and L to each other.

  
        "L, could you maybe unlock Light's handcuff so they can talk real quick?" Kohaku asked him. "Pretty please~"

  
        L looked at her for a few moments. Kohaku gave him the puppy dog eyes. He sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. He unlocked Light's cuff. "You have only two minutes. Make them count."

  
        "Thanks, Ryuzaki." Light gripped onto Sakae's wrist and pulled her into a different section of the room where their conversation could not be heard and they were behind a wall to have at least a little bit more privacy.

  
        "What is it, Light?" Sakae asked, curious as to what he wanted.

  
        "Sakae," Light looked at her. She was looking up at him, curiously. Light sighed and tried to find the words he wanted to say. "I…" He struggled to say them. It seemed much easier when he was thinking about it.

  
        "Light, are you okay?" Sakae moved a little closer to him. He looked really flustered for some reason she couldn't fathom. Whatever he was trying to tell him must be hard for him to say for him to be like this.

  
        Light took Sakae's hand into his. They stared at each other for a moment. Not realizing what he was doing, Light leaned down and kissed Sakae. "I love you," he said when he broke the kiss.

  
        Sakae smiled slightly. "I love you too," she told him. "I guess we've loved each other for a while, just couldn't tell."

  
        "Yea, I think so," he replied, pulling Sakae into a hug. "I'm glad I was able to tell you though. "

  
        "I am too," Sakae said before pulling out of the hug. "Shall we head back into the other room?"

  
        Light nodded. "Yea," and they head back into the other room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Light and Sakae are officially dating! Once a future couple tells one another about their love, they are instantly a couple. Same happened with L and Kohaku, sort of, I think. xD You love me~


	20. Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *whisper* There's a sex scene in this chapter. You're welcome.

        The date is August 2nd. L, Ryuichi, Light, the girls (including Misa), and the men (including Watari & Mogi) moved into the special facility L had built the day before. Misa, Kohaku, Sakae, L, and Light were in Misa's room, which wasn't all that large but wasn't too small either. Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, Ryuichi, and Aizawa were watching them from the surveillance cams. Mogi was elsewhere and Watari was inside a room full of screens of information and footage of throughout the facility. They (the girls, L, and Light) were pretty much on a very awkward date in Misa's room. Light and L were sitting beside each other because of them being cuffed together (after Light had his moment with Sakae, L immediately put the cuff back on him). Light was relaxing, leaning against the couch with his eyes closed while L was munching on some cake in his squatting position. Sakae, Kohaku, and Misa were on the couch across from them. Sakae was looked slightly uncomfortable and she was sitting across from Light, Misa was staring at Light and she was sitting across no one, and Kohaku was sleeping in her curled up position and sitting across from L. A slice of cake sat in front of Misa on the table, completely untouched.

  
        "This has gotta be the lamest date I've ever been a part of," Misa commented, breaking the silence. "It was boring enough to make Kohaku fall asleep."

  
        "Kohaku always sleeps," Light commented, not moving from his position or opening his eyes. "It's part of how she is."

  
        "Mhm," Sakae mumbled, shifting to try and get comfortable.

  
        "I think it's...cute how she sleeps," L said. He looked at Misa and pointed towards her cake. "By the way, are you gonna eat your piece of cake?"

  
        "Cake makes you fat. I'm not gonna eat any," Misa said.

  
        "Actually I found you don't gain any weight as long as you burn calories by using the brain," L said, pointing to his head.

  
        Misa looked at him, annoyed. "So now you call me stupid? Fine, then, I'll give you the piece of cake as long as you agree to leave Sakae and Light alone. Sakae doesn't seem very comfortable with this 'double date' we're all on. I don't even see why I had to be a part of this too."

  
        "Kohaku didn't want you to be left out," Sakae stated.

  
        "Oh." Misa half-smiled. "That was sweet of her. If she were awake, I'd hug her."

  
        Kohaku shifted a bit but remained asleep.

  
        L went straight into the previous conversation. He spoke with a fork in his mouth. "Even if I were to leave them alone and if they moved into a different room, I'm still gonna be watching on surveillance cameras, so it wouldn't make any difference."

  
        "You pervert! Could you stop it with your creepy hobby? You have a girlfriend!" Misa gestures towards the still sleeping Kohaku.

  
        "You can call me whatever you like. I'm taking your cake." L stood on the couch and leaned over to grab Misa's untouched cake, pressing his right foot on the table in the process, before he got back in his squatting position.

  
        "Okay, then, I'll just close the curtains and turn off the lights so Sakae and Light can have a little privacy," Misa said. Light blushed a bit but stayed in the same position he was in.

  
        "I-It's fine," Sakae said, blushing a bit.

  
        L stared at Misa. "Closing the curtains and turning off the lights wouldn't work. We have infrared cameras in here as well."

  
        Misa glared at L. Though she found it annoying that he wouldn't and couldn't let Sakae and Light have time alone, she would have found it even more annoying if she were the one dating Light instead.

  
        Kohaku yawned and opened her eyes. She looked around and saw Misa glaring at L. "Did I miss something?" She blinked.

  
        Sakae looked past Misa and at Kohaku. "Just some arguing about privacy."

  
        "Oh. So, nothing that is extremely important. Cool." Kohaku stretched but remained in her usual curled up position.

  
        Light opened his eyes and leaned forward a bit. He looked at L. "What's wrong with you? I thought moving here was supposed to help us to catch Kira, but since we've been here, you don't seem all that motivated to me."

  
        "Hm?" Kohaku wondered.

  
        " _Uh oh,"_ Sakae thought to herself.

  
        "Not motivated? You're right. Actually I'm depressed," L stated, frowning and holding Misa's cake in one hand and a fork in the other.

  
        Kohaku frowned. "What?"

  
        "Depressed? What for?" Light questioned. He crossed his arms.

  
        "Tell us what's bothering you, Ryuzaki," Sakae said, frowning a bit too, looking at L.

  
        "Well." L ate a piece of Misa's cake. "Hmm." He spoke with his mouth full. "Briefly, all this time I thought you were Kira and my entire case hinged on that fact." He swallowed the piece of cake. "I guess I just can't get past the fact that my deduction was wrong. Although having said that, I'm still suspicious of you. That's why we're wearing these." L lifted his left arm that had one of the cuffs to it that connected with the one on Light's right arm, erm, hand. "And we also know that Kira can control people's actions which means, It's highly likely that Kira was controlling your actions so that I would suspect you. If I assume both you and Misa were being controlled by him, then everything we'd observed so far makes a lot more sense to me."

  
        "Mmm," Kohaku hummed. Sakae looked in Kohaku's direction, blinking.

  
        "If that's what you think, Misa and I were both Kira during the time we were being controlled, right?" Light questioned.

  
        "Yes. I don't think I could've been wrong about that. The two of you are Kira," L said, glancing at Light.

  
        Kohaku and Sakae sighed.

  
        "Hm," Misa grunted out.

  
        "If what I was thinking was correct, when your confinement began, you were Kira. I don't believe it's coincidence that as soon as you were imprisoned, all the killings stopped. Until then, everything pointed to you being Kira. But after two weeks, criminals actually began dying again. Based on that evidence, I can only conclude that Kira's power passes between people," L said.

  
        "That's an interesting idea, but if it's true, it'll be nearly impossible for us to catch Kira," Light stated.

  
        "Yeah…" Kohaku mumbled.

  
        "Seems so," Sakae said quietly.

  
        "That's why I'm overwhelmed. Even if we catch someone under his control, they are likely to lose their powers and any memory of their crimes. So in the end, pursuing them becomes futile," L said.

  
        "But at this point, we have no way of knowing if that's the case. Cheer up, would you?" Light stared at L.

  
        L put down the cake and fork, placing them on the table. "Cheer up? No. I'm sorry I can't. It's probably better if I just stop trying so hard." L placed a finger in his mouth and pulled on his lower lip a bit. "By chasing Kira so desperately, we would just be putting our lives at risk for nothing." He removed his finger from his mouth. "Yes, it's just a waste of time."

  
        Kohaku sighed, frowning. " _How the hell can we cheer him up...?"_

  
        " _This is all so confusing,"_ Sakae thought as she listened to the conversation.

  
        Light sighed. "Hmmmm." He stood up. "Ryuzaki."

  
        "Huh?" L looked in Light's direction.

  
        Within seconds, Light's fist connected with L's right cheek. It was quite the punch; it send L flying off the couch, towards the wall. Light was dragged with him because they were connected by the cuffs and chain. The table flipped over and a plant was knocked over. The girls got off the couch quickly. Misa stepped on the cake L had been previously eating and lifted her foot to clean it. Kohaku shook her head, smiling. Sakae laughed half-heartedly. The girls then looked towards where Light stood and L laid on the floor. The girls stood where they wouldn't accidentally end up a part of the nonsense.

  
        "Shouldn't we do something?" Sakae whispered.

  
        "Hell no. This is gonna be entertaining. I can feel it." Kohaku smiled more.

  
        "But…" Sakae started.

  
        "Shh!" Kohaku hushed her.

  
        L sat up and stared at Light. For once, he wasn't in his squatting position. Shit was about to get real. "You know that really hurt," he said blankly.

  
        "That's enough! You don't feel like doing anything just because your genius deduction was wrong and I'm not Kira?" Light was a bit pissed.

  
        L rubbed his cheek a bit. "Hm, fine. Perhaps I phrased that in the wrong way. I meant that it would be pointless for us to make a move so we shouldn't even bother."

  
        "If we don't chase Kira, he'll never be caught. Is that what you want? If you were just gonna give up, then why did you involve all those innocent people?" Light gripped onto L's shirt and pulled him up slightly. "More importantly, what was the point in putting Misa, Sakae, and me behind bars?!"

  
        " _Why did I have to be brought into the conversation?"_ Sakae thought, sweat dropping slightly.

  
        "I understand," L said. "But still, whatever the reason…" L got out of Light's grip and turned slightly, kicking Light using his right leg "...an eye for an eye, my friend."

  
        Light flew back, bringing L with him, and they both landed on the couch, flipping it over.

  
        Kohaku was laughing a little. "Looks like they keep forgetting that they are connected via the handcuffs."

  
        "How ironic," Sakae smiled a little, holding back a small laugh.

  
        "Why are you finding this amusing?!" Misa exclaimed. "They could get hurt!"

  
        "I am well aware that they could possibly hurt one another but they are both tough. They couldn't possibly do much damage to one another," Kohaku stated, looking at Misa. "So, stop freaking out. It's not like they are going to kill each other."

  
        Misa crossed her arms and pouted a bit. "I still think they could hurt each other..."

  
        "Hurt, yes; but, it would probably allow the two to get along better...Maybe," Sakae commented.

  
        L sat up, along with Light. L stared at Light. "It's not my deduction that was wrong. The fact is, I can say that Light Yagami is Kira and Misa Amane is the second Kira, but it won't be enough to solve the case and that's why I'm a little depressed. Is that so unreasonable?"

  
        "Yes. Yes, it is. Besides, you should hear yourself. It is as if you won't be satisfied unless I am Kira," Light said.

  
        L got into a position that was somewhat like his usual squatting position, except he looked more like a monkey. "I won't be satisfied unless you're Kira. Well, there may be some truth to that. In fact now that you mentioned it, you're right. I think I wanted you to be Kira."

  
        They both stood up and that last comment L made earned him another punch from Light, only this time Light's fist stayed connected to L's face. L grunted a bit.

  
        "Ouch," Kohaku commented.

  
        "That's gotta hurt at least a little bit," Sakae commented.

  
        "As I said before, an eye for an eye. Mm, I'm a lot stronger than I look, you know," L said.

  
        L turned and kicked Light again. Light stumbled a bit and yanked on the chain connecting them and punched L once more. They both then gripped each other's shirt and prepared to punch each other but were interrupted by the phone suddenly ringing. "Hm?" they both wondered, looking at the phone.

  
        "That's one way to stop a fight," Sakae mumbled.

  
        "It was just getting good," Kohaku pouted.

  
        L answered the phone. "Yes? Oh, I see." Not to long after he answered the phone, he hung up.

  
        "What was that?" Light asked.

  
        "Matsuda's acting stupid again," L stated. He was back in his little monkey position.

  
        "Well, that's his specialty," Light said.

  
        "He can hear you, you know," Sakae stated.

  
        "So what if stupidity is his speciality?" Kohaku questioned. "I think it's cute." If only she could see Matsuda blushing at hearing that while watching the live footage.

  
        "Hmph," L grunted, frowning.

  
        "You act as if you like him," Light said, looking at Kohaku.

  
        "I do like him. I consider him a really good friend, even though we hardly even talk," Kohaku stated. She crossed her arms. "Everyone should be nicer to him and that also includes me. I am not very nice to him sometimes."

  
        Sakae nodded. "With how much he gets ragged on, he deserves a little bit of respect."

  
        "At least someone agrees with me." Kohaku stretched. "You guys have fun with the rest of this...date thing or whatever. As entertaining as that was, I'm gonna head to my room and sleep some more." She headed towards the door.

  
        "Have a good rest, then," Light said.

  
        "Yep." Kohaku opened the door and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

  
        L stared after her. "Hmm." He stood up.

  
        "Something wrong, Ryuzaki?" Light asked.

  
        "Sakae, mind being cuffed to Light for a while?" L asked. Unknownst to Sakae and Light, L was already unlocking his cuff and connecting it to Sakae's wrist.

  
        "Huh?" Sakae and Light blinked.

  
        "Thanks." L headed to the door and exited as well.

  
        "What the-?" Sakae looked at her wrist. "How did he-?"

  
        "Well, that question did surprise us both. It distracted us long enough for him to take off his cuff and place it on you...not that I am complaining," Light said, blushing as he said the last part.

  
        Sakae blushed some too and laughed a little. "I guess I would say the same."

  
        "Yay! You two can be alone now!" Misa exclaimed. "Well, there are still cameras but you get some privacy, at least!"

  
        "Um…" Light and Sakae blushed and stared at Misa.

  
        Misa smiled. "You two can go on and kiss now. I can close my eyes." She closed her eyes. "Everyone else might be watching but I gave you one less person to worry about!" She was still smiling, her eyes still closed. "Did you kiss yet?"

  
        Sakae blushed more.

  
        Light chuckled. "Not unless we have complete privacy, we won't be doing any kissing. It would just be… completely awkward with everyone watching us on the cameras."

  
        "Yeah," Sakae agreed.

  
        Misa pouted and opened her eyes. "Aww… Okay…"

* * *

        Kohaku entered her hotel room. The only things in there were a small kitchen, a tv, a couch, and a very large bed meant for two. Also, it was more than likely the only room that didn't have cameras and such in it. She had completely privacy.

  
        She laid down on the bed. This wasn't just her room, however. It was a room meant for her and L to share whenever he wasn't cuffed to Light for the night. She would have to stay in their room alone, though, if L chose to stay cuffed with Light for the night, meaning L had to room with Light. Kohaku laughed at the thought of those two in the same room together: Light trying to sleep and L just typing away at his laptop, possibly keeping Light awake.

  
        " _You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Light and L could end up with each other. Yaoi all the way, bitches,"_ Kohaku thought, laughing a bit to herself. " _Like that would happen. If Light ended up taking L from me, I'd kick his ass. Besides, L loves me to death and I love him to death. We'd both risk our lives to keep each other safe."_

  
        She heard the door open and she sat up. She looked towards the door to see L closing it as he entered. He walked over to her. She looked at him questionably. "Whatcha doing? Shouldn't you be cuffed to Light?"

  
        "I cuffed him to Sakae so I could have some time with you," L stated. He sat beside her in his squatting position.

  
        Kohaku laughed. "That must be fun for them, then."

  
        They were silent for a few moments after Kohaku stopped laughing.

  
        "You've been defending Matsuda quite a lot lately," L said, staring at the floor and breaking the silence. "Is there any reason why, other than that you consider him a good friend?"

  
        Kohaku blinked and stared at L. "There's no other reason." She smiled. "So, there is no reason for you to be jealous."

  
        "There are plenty of reasons for me to be jealous," L stated.

  
        "Pfft," Kohaku scoffed. "Name one."

  
        "He likes you," L stated.

  
        "As a friend most likely," Kohaku said.

  
        "He either blushes or smiles whenever you say something to him," L stated.

  
        "He does that whenever Sakae or Misa say something to him," Kohaku stated blankly. "You have no reason, at all, to be jealous."

  
        "Hmph," L grunted. He looked at her.

  
        "You're just too cute sometimes." Kohaku poked his cheek.

  
        L cracked a smile. "Perhaps, but not as much as you."

  
        Kohaku blushed and smiled. "Hm, no, I think you are way cuter than I am."

  
        "How do you come to that conclusion?" L asked.

  
        "Let's see. You have a cute smile and grin. You have an adorable laugh that I rarely hear and wish I could hear more. You simply just look extremely cute and adorable. Lastly, your personality is cute...and adorable. If that doesn't answer that question then I don't know what can," Kohaku stated.

  
        "I can see your point," L replied. "But, none of that can really compare to you."

  
        Kohaku tilted her head. "Really? How so?"

  
        "The way you smile, the way how you randomly fall asleep, how confident and passionate you can, not matter what the situation," L stated.

  
        Kohaku blushed. "I guess we should say we are both equally cute then." L shifted so that he was facing Kohaku completely in his cute squatting position. Kohaku stared at him. L stared back. They stayed like that for several moments, both of them completely unsure of what to say or do. Kohaku eventually broke the silence. "You should probably go back to being cuffed to Light soon."

  
        L nodded. "Yes, I know."

  
        Kohaku smiled a little and shifted to be on her knees on the bed. She leaned towards L, closing her eyes, and she kissed him. He closed his eyes immediately and kissed back slowly and shyly. 

        As their kiss slowly grew more passionate, Kohaku placed her hands in L's and, as they continued to kiss, she slowly laid on the bed, bringing L down with her just as slowly, causing him to end up on top of her.

        L, a bit surprised and still in a shy state of mind, pulled out of the kiss. He didn't, however, get off of her fully. He only moved off her a bit so he wouldn't be crushing her. "Kohaku..." He had an idea in mind on what she wanted. He never thought that she'd want to do _that_ with him.

        "Hm?" she wondered, placing one of her hands onto L's head and into his hair.

        "Are you...sure you want to do this?" he asked slowly. "Once it's done, we can't go back."

        Kohaku smiled. "I'm 100% sure. How'd you know that I wanted to engage in sexual intercourse?"

        "Research on the matter and just a feeling I had," L stated, smiling back. "I'm surprised you want to do such a thing with me."

        "You're surprised? I'm actually a bit surprised myself," Kohaku stated. "I never thought that the amazing detective L would want to ever have sexual intercourse with a woman."

        "To be honest, I never thought about such a thing until a few nights ago when I came across the topic online. After that, all I could think about other than the case was making love with you," L said, blushing.

        "Making love, huh~? That's a better term for what we're about to do~" Kohaku said in a somewhat seductive tone.

        L chuckled. He leaned down and kissed her deeply for a moment before pulling away. "Are you sure you are okay with this?"

        "Yes. Are you?" she asked back.

        "Yeah. I am," L responded.

        Kohaku wrapped her arms around L's neck slowly. "Nervous?"

        "Just a little, to be honest," L said.

        "Me too. Let's just... take it slow, yeah?" Kohaku grinned a little.

        L nodded and grinned back at her a little. He leaned back down and recaptured her lips, kissing her slowly and passionately, putting as much of his love into the kiss as possible. Kohaku kissed him back slowly with just as much passion and love as L's kiss. The slow kiss was very intoxicating; exciting. This was going to be a very new experience for the both of them so they were savoring the beautiful moment. They were both very shy, but hopefully, confidence would build as they went through this slowly.

        Gaining just a small burst of courage, L lightly licked Kohaku's closed lips. Kohaku hesitated slightly before parting her lips a bit. L took his time sliding his tongue between her parted lips. In seconds, his tongue found Kohaku's. Their tongues began to dance as they both slowly circled around one another. The slow twirling of their tongues soon became fierce as their shyness temporarily subsided.

        After about two minutes of fierce french kissing, L and Kohaku pulled apart, gasping for air and panting. L stared into Kohaku's dark-ish blue eyes as she stared back into L's dark eyes while they slowly regained their breath, no longer panting and gasping.

        L placed his hands at the bottom of Kohaku's shirt that happened to be his own. "As much as I love seeing you in my clothes... is it okay if I..." It was obvious that L was becoming shy again.

        Kohaku smiled nervously and nodded, blushing. L blushed as well but more fiercely than he had earlier. He slowly began to lift up her shirt as she raised up a bit to make it easier for him. He soon got the shirt off of her and he tosses it to the floor. L blushed even more fierce as he stared at Kohaku's laced white bra and her exposed creamy, pale skin.

        L moved back a it to let Kohaku lean up. Kohaku moved her hands to her back and she unclipped her bra for L before laying back on the bed. L then proceeded to remove Kohaku's bra completely, tossing it onto the floor as well.

        The blush in L's cheeks remained as he stared at Kohaku's bare chest for the first time. He glanced up at her face to see that she had turned her head to the side and her cheeks were rosy as she blushed slightly under L's gaze. L smiled a little, happy that he wasn't the only shy one. He looked back at her bare chest. Her breasts were beautifully formed and weren't too small or too large. Her nipples were semi erect.

        L slowly, but surely, cupped her breasts in each hand which happened to fit perfectly in his hands. The blush on Kohaku's face grew as L lightly squeezed her breasts.

        "A-Are you sure you've never done this before?" Kohaku asked him.

        "Mhm. This is all from instinct...and loads of research," L stated.

        Kohaku laughed a little causing her breasts to jiggle a bit in L's hands. "I believe that second one more than the first."

        L smiled and moved his left hand off her right breast. He leaned down and gave the semi erect nipple of her right breast a small lick. Kohaku let out a small gasp as a small spark of pleasure went through her. Blushing and happy about the reaction Kohaku made, L made his tongue circle her nipple slowly a few times before he captured the nipple in his lips. He began to suck on it gently. Kohaku moved her left hand to her lips and bit one of her fingers lightly to try and suppress a moan to no avail; her tiny, loving moans slipped through her lips, providing L more courage to touch his beautiful girlfriend. As he sucked on Kohaku's right nipple, he moved his right hand off her left breast, so he was no longer cupping it, so he could flick her left semi erect nipple with his index finger.

        "Mmm~" Kohaku arched her back a bit as multiple sparks of pleasure went through her.

        L rolled Kohaku's left nipple gently as he suck on her right nipple for a few more moments before finally moving away from her breasts completely. L looked at Kohaku's face again; it was quite red from loads of blush. "Was that nice?" he asked, wanting to be sure she hadn't been faking the moans.

        Kohaku nodded and smiled. "Very nice." She felt L's hands on her sides, slowly going down them and reaching her pant line. L kept his gaze on Kohaku as he placed his hands on her pants button and zipper. He hesitated to unbutton and unzip them. Kohaku pulled L's head down to her face so she could give him a lovely butterfly kiss on the lips and nose. "Go ahead."

        With his new-found permission, L unbuttoned and unzipped Kohaku's pants and pulled them off of her, tossing them onto the floor. Kohaku pulled at L's shirt suddenly, signalling for him to remove it. L blushed and did so; his bare chest had quite a build to it, not too muscly. Kohaku laid her hands on his chest.

        "So handsome," she whispered with a faint smile.

        "So beautiful," L said, stroking Kohaku's bare, pale legs; they were very smooth. He leaned down to give her a quick kiss before he moved his gaze to her slightly damp white panties.

        "Don't stare," Kohaku whined slightly.

        L blushed once again. "Sorry." He slowly and shyly removed Kohaku's panties. He tossed them to the floor. He couldn't help but stare at what lay between her creamy bare legs: Kohaku's wet womanly center. L couldn't help himself. Out of pure instinct, he leaned down and started licking Kohaku's womanhood rapidly.

        "Ahh~" Kohaku moaned loudly. "L~"

        L didn't stop licking her; she tasted so good. He pushed his tongue into her womanhood and wiggled it around, trying to taste every inch of her. Not even three minutes went by before Kohaku climaxed, allowing L to taste her juices that she released. He pulled away, wiping his mouth a bit. "You tasted like sweets."

        Kohaku blushed and covered her face from embarrassment. L chuckled and stood to remove his pants and boxers. Kohaku heard clothes dropping to the floor and uncovered her face, only to see L's very hard erection. "That's...very big. How is it going to fit?!"

        L laughed. "Don't worry about that. It'll fit." He got back on top of her, pulling the covers over them, and kissed her head. He positioned himself in front of her entrance. "Ready?" Kohaku nodded and wrapped her arms around him. L was about to enter her when something crossed his mind. He smiled and closed his eyes a little. "Lawliet."

        Kohaku's eyes widened in realization. "H-Huh?" She had to be sure if her thoughts were correct.

        "My name...is L Lawliet," L said, reopening his eyes so he could stare into hers.

        Kohaku smiled. "Such a wonderful name," she whispered. "I love you, L Lawliet."

        "And I love you, Kohaku Hatashi," L said.

        Kohaku braced herself. In one movement, L buried himself to the hilt inside her. Tears went down Kohaku's cheeks as she felt her hymen burst. L kissed her tears away. "Sorry."

        "It's okay," Kohaku said, smiling a little bit despite the pain. "I've had worst pains than this."

        L remained still for a few moments, kissing Kohaku's face as her pain slowly faded. "Should I move now?"

        "Mhm." Kohaku nodded her head slightly.

        L began to rock against her slowly. Kohaku let out small whimpers and moans as he did so. L continued to thrust into her slowly, making fine, subtle circling movements as he rocked into her over and over as he moaned softly with her. As minutes went by, L watched Kohaku as she thrashed underneath him from the pleasure, raising her hips as she did so she could meet with his thrusts.

        "Faster, L," Kohaku moaned.

        "Are you sure?" he asked, keeping the slow pace going. "I don't want to hurt you in any way."

        "Yes, I'm sure," Kohaku said.

        L didn't hesitate. He started to pound into her in a fierce manner. He didn't have to hold back anymore.

        "Ah!" Kohaku moaned loudly as she arched up against him.

        As he pounded into her at such a fast pace with loving thrusts, their breathing became heavy and unsteady. Minutes went by. Maybe even a hour. They weren't keeping time. They were enjoying themselves, happy to have been each others first. L and Kohaku were reaching their limits. L started to move even faster so he could reach his climax and bring Kohaku to hers.

        "I'm...so close to..." Kohaku managed to say as she moaned more and more from the thrusts.

        "Me...too," L moaned out. He thrusted into her a few more times before he buckled within her, releasing his juices as he called out her name. "Kohaku!"

        "Ah~! Lawliet!" Kohaku cried out. She convulsed around him as she released her own juices along with him, having reached her glorious peak with him.

        L exited her but remained on top of her. They stared into each others eyes as they slowly recovered their breath...

* * *

        In one of the large surveillance rooms (Watari was in the other one alone), Ryuichi, Sakae, Light, Matsuda, and Mr. Yagami are standing around, waiting for L. They decided to make conversation.

  
        Sakae yawned a little bit and leaned onto Ryuichi, closing her eyes. "I kind of want to go home right now."

  
        Ryuichi looked over at Light, noticing him staring at them. He smirked a little. "I don't know about that one, Sakae. Perhaps if L would hurry up, we could ask. I believe some of us would like to go home. Am I right, Light?"

  
        Light nodded. "I guess I could agree."

  
        Mr. Yagami looked at the surveillance footage and couldn't spot L anywhere. "Where could Ryuzaki be?" he wondered out loud.

  
        "Let's see, L is nowhere to be found and neither is Kohaku. I can already see where that is leading to," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "What do you mean, Ryu?" Sakae asked as she stared at her brother.

  
        "What?" Ryuichi said, looking at his sister.

  
        "What could they be doing?" Light also asked.

  
        "Hmm, nothing, nothing at all," Ryuichi answered, trying to avoid telling them.

  
        Matsuda blushed. "Maybe we should just stay here and wait." He just wanted to avoid walking in on the two doing...something.

* * *

        Clothes are laying on the floor, scattered all over the place. The clothing belonged to L and Kohaku. The passionate kiss the two had become something even better. Inside Kohaku and L's room, on the bed and under the sheets, the couple stared at each other, panting for they are breathless from the passionate love making they had only just finished seconds ago. The two are silent, just staring at each other as they slowly caught their breath. It wasn't long before they both broke into small laughter.

  
        "That sure was something," Kohaku giggled from underneath L.

  
        "Yes, it was," L stated, smiling and chuckling. He buried his face in her neck.

  
        "Mmm… I wish we could stay like this for a while," Kohaku said, her laughter dying down.

  
        "Yeah…" L sighed and leaned up to kiss her. "But the others are more than likely wondering where I'm at. I shouldn't make them wait."

  
        Kohaku pouted. "Aww…"

  
        L chuckled again. "We'll spend more time together the next time I'm not cuffed to Light. We still have a case to deal with."

  
        Kohaku sighed. "I know." She smiled a little. "Promise we'll hang out again soon, just us and no one else?"

  
        L nodded. "Promise." He kissed her forehead. He got off her and they both stood up, the blanket that had been covering them dropping to the floor, revealing their nudity that had been hidden. L pulled Kohaku into his arms and held her softly. "You're so beautiful."

  
        Kohaku blushed and laid her head on his bare right shoulder. "You're just saying that to make me smile."

  
        "I mean it." He moved her away softly and looked her into her eyes, just like he always did. "You're beautiful. I'm very lucky to have found someone like you. I honestly never thought that I'd grow close to someone like I did with you." He stroked her cheek.

  
        Kohaku smiled, tears of joy filling her eyes. "I love you… L Lawliet." The fact that he had revealed his name during their passionate bonding made their moment even sweeter.

  
        L smiled back and wiped one of Kohaku's tears that managed to fall. "And I love you, Kohaku Hatashi."

  
        They shared a passionate kiss before having quick showers and putting their clothing back on. Before leaving the room, L kissed Kohaku once more. Shortly after L left the room, Kohaku removed the dirty bed sheet and then fell asleep on the bed, dreaming of L.

* * *

        It's October 2nd. Light was sitting in a chair, typing on a computer. Ryuichi and Sakae were chatting a little ways behind him. L was squatting in his chair, facing the wrong way in it. Kohaku was by L's chair and her hands were in her pants pockets. Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, and Matsuda weren't in the room. Misa was in her room. Mogi and Watari were somewhere.

  
        "Ryuzaki, I know you're not feeling up to it, but come over here for a second. Take a close look at this," Light said. L got out of his seat and went to stand beside Light. Kohaku, Sakae, and Ryuichi moved to stand directly behind Light and remained quiet. "It can't be coincidence." They looked at the computer screen.

  
        "Huh?" L questioned. He pressed one of his fingers to his mouth.

  
        "All of them were prominent Japanese businessmen. CEOs whose companies are leaders in their respective industries. In just over a month, they all died of heart attacks. As expected, there's been a general downturn in the market with the exception of Yotsuba. In other words, their deaths have worked in Yotsuba's favor. Looking back, there've been 13 similar deaths in the past three months. Your thoughts? Based on this, I can only conclude that Kira is supporting Yotsuba," Light said.

  
        "Huh. Could be but if what you're saying is true, we can assume that punishing criminals is not this Kira's real intent," L said.

  
        "Right. Punishing criminals is diversion for him. It'd excuse the fact that he's actually killing people for the benefit of this company. Hm. Are you feeling a bit motivated now?" Light questioned.

  
        "I know I am a lot more motivated now," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Hell ya," Sakae said with a smile.

  
        "Let's see where it takes us," Ryuichi commented.

  
        L grins a little bit as he looked at the computer screen.

* * *

        Later that day, Matsuda and Aizawa had came into the same room as L, Light, Sakae, Ryuichi, and Kohaku. They were informed by Light about his theory. Light and L were both sitting down while everyone else in the room were standing. Not to long after, Mogi and Mr. Yagami headed into the room.

  
        "Hey, chief. Oh, you, too, Mogi. I've got some great news," Matsuda said. "This is amazing! I'm not even sure how he figured it out, but Light has the theory that Kira is somehow involved with Yotsuba group. Can you believe it?"

  
        "Yotsuba?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Oh, yes." Matsuda stared at Mr. Yagami.

  
        "That's probably it. Good work." Mr. Yagami didn't sound very enthusiastic.

  
        "Huh?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Something the matter, Mr. Yagami?" Kohaku asked. Sakae looked at Mr. Yagami with concern. Ryuichi patted Sakae's shoulder.

  
        "We just spoke with the director and it seems Kira's offered bribe to a number of politicians. So that's that. The police caved in to him," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Huh?" Aisawa and Matsuda questioned.

  
        Light stood up, shocked and L turned towards Mr. Yagami with a somewhat surprised look on his face.

  
        " _Fuck the police then,"_ Kohaku thought angrily. She crossed her arms.

  
        " _This can't turn out good,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "Great," Ryuichi muttered, sarcastically.

  
        "Mogi and I have already made up our minds on this. Aizawa, Matsuda, if you wish to continue working on this case, you'll have to hand in your letter of resignation to the NPA just as Mogi and I are going to do. Like it or not, you cannot pursue Kira as a member of the police force anymore," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Wha..ho..hold on a second, chief," Aizawa said.

  
        "They made it quite clear. If you continue to work with L, you'll be fired. That's all there's to it," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "So then, chief, you're gonna…" Matsuda couldn't finish.

  
        "In a few hours I'm no longer going to be your chief. However, we all have our own lives. So think it over carefully," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "That's true, chief. Especially if you've got a family to support," Matsuda said.

  
        "Huh." Aizawa was wide-eyed, unsure what to do.

  
        L was back to looking at the computer in front of him. "If you want my opinion, you'd be better off as police officers. I was alone when I started this case and although I'm grateful to all of you for staying with me as long as you have, I know that I can do this by myself. I'll be sure to visit you at the department and bring you Kira's head as reward for all that you sacrificed. Kohaku, Sakae, and Ryuichi can try to go back to living normally."

  
        "Ryuzaki, as long as I'm alive, you won't be walking alone. You have my word on that," Light said.

  
        "I am not leaving you," Kohaku said to L. "I'm staying."

  
        "Don't just send me away." Sakae smiled a little. "It's up to me whether or not I go and I shall be staying. I had wanted to leave but I changed my mind about that."

  
        "If Sakae is staying, so am I," Ryuichi stated, half-smiling.

  
        "Hm, right. Now I have Light, Ryuichi, Sakae, and Kohaku working with me until I catch Kira so I won't be alone after all, but as I said, I think the rest of you should remain as police officers," L said.

  
        "But when you first contacted us, you said that you would need the help of the police in order to solve this case," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "That's because the police as an organization were still hoping to arrest Kira. They weren't bowing to him. Besides, with all due respect, there is a big difference between the help of two or three civilians and the police as an organization. As you said, the police had made the position clear; they don't wanna catch Kira, so let's just leave it at that," L said. L ate a cherry then placed its stem in his mouth.

  
        "Huh, well, I suppose what you say makes sense. If we are not police officers any more, we won't be of much use to you. However, we are all personally involved in this. All of us have risked our lives to catch Kira. Doesn't that give us the right to decide whether we stay here or return to the police force?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        L took the tied cherry stem out of his mouth. "Mm, good point. Then by all means, please make your decision."

  
        Light, Kohaku, Sakae, and Ryuichi watched silently.

  
        "But chief, wait. If you quit your job with the police force, you would be unemployed. Even if we do catch Kira, what are you gonna do after that?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        "After that? I hadn't really thought of it, but I suppose after we catch Kira, I'll have to dust off my resume," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Count me in! I'm gonna quit the police and chase Kira, too, chief! And I still have my job as Misamisa's manager. Besides if I stayed on as a police officer, I feel like a total loser," Matsuda said.

  
        "Think before you open your mouth, Matsuda," Mr. Yagami scolded him.

  
        " _Matsuda should be treated better than this,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "Is there any way I could still keep my job and help you in my spare time?" Aizawa asked, looking towards L.

  
        "There isn't. If you remain a police officer, then please don't come back here," L said.

  
        "But you know I won't leak any information!" Aizawa exclaimed.

  
        "I won't be sharing any of our information," L said.

  
        "Ah." Aizawa was still unsure.

  
        "You are free to pursue Kira on your own if you want to but I don't think it's fair to your families to burden them by giving up your livelihood just to continue this. I can't see how that's a good idea," L said.

  
        "It's as Ryuzaki says. No one here is gonna blame you for quitting," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Yeah. Right. We all understand why you've gotta do this," Matsuda said.

  
        "But chief has a family, too," Aizawa said.

  
        "Our situations are completely different," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Oh, damn it! To leave now after all we've been through. I said that I was prepared to die if that's what it  _took to_  catch him and I meant it. What kind of friend would  _I be to Ukita_  if I quit now? I became a detective so I can catch the bad guys, not run away!" Aizawa yelled.

  
        Watari's insignia appeared on a screen in the room. "Ryuzaki, earlier on in the investigation, you specifically told me that if the task force member were to lose their job under any circumstances, I should make preparations to ensure that their families' financial future was secure. If you recall, [our trust was set aside] for that very purpose. I'm a little curious as to why you're withholding this information."

  
        "This not the time or place, Watari," L said.

  
        "I'm sorry," Watari apologized.

  
        "No way! So all this time we have nothing to worry about? I can't believe you did that. There we go, Aizawa. Isn't that a great news? Uh?" Matsuda grew quiet.

  
        Aizawa was pissed. "Ryuzaki, I assume that this was some kind of test to determine how committed I was to this task force."

  
        "I-i-it's not like that, Aizawa. Ryuzaki is not the type to say things directly. You should know that by now," Mr. Yagami said, trying to defend L.

  
        "Yeah. That's right," Matsuda said.

  
        "No," L said.

  
        "Ah?" Mr. Yagami looked at L.

  
        "I was testing you. I wanted to see which one you would choose," L said to Aizawa.

  
        "Fine, then. If I wasn't sure before, I am now. Let's face it. I wasn't able to decide right  _away like_  you guys. I was leaning towards going back to the police," Aizawa said.

  
        "Come on, Aizawa. Don't be so stubborn," Matsuda said.

  
        "No. I quit! Now I know this for sure. I've always hated Ryuzaki. I hate him in his way *of doing things," Aizawa said angrily. "I hate his girlfriend too!" He started to leave.

  
        "How the hell did I get dragged into this nonsense?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        Sakae shrugged.

  
        "That's too bad, because I like you, Aizawa," L said.

  
        "I also hate the way you've always gotta have the last word. You would insult me and now you're saying something like that? That's it. I'm outta here," Aizawa said. He was soon in an elevator and gone.

  
        "Thank you for everything," L mumbled, still staring at the computer.

  
        " _Damn…"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        " _He was a jerk to begin with,"_ Sakae thought to herself.

  
        " _His loss, I guess,"_ Ryuichi thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then every girl reading this story fangirled and their ovaries exploded at the thought of imagining L and Kohaku having sex.


	21. Matsuda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damn it, Matsuda. You idiot!

        It's October 7th. Light, L, Matsuda, and Mogi are sitting in chairs, looking at the laptops in front of them; well, L was looking on the laptop Light had and didn't have his own laptop in front of him. L and Light were sitting very close to each other because of, well, they were cuffed still. Matsuda and Mogi were sitting quite a little ways from them and each other, leaving a bit of room between them. Ryuichi and Sakae stood behind Light. Kohaku was standing behind L. On one of the large screens that showed surveillance footage, Misa was shown to be in her room.

  
        Light was looking at the computer in front of him. "I just found another one. A general manager of a bank, Yotsuba's biggest competitor. On September 7th, he slipped and fell on the front steps of his house and died instantly."

  
        "Interesting," Sakae commented.

  
        "Mmm." Kohaku crossed her arms.

  
        Mr. Yagami walked towards everyone, looking at papers in his hands. "September the 7th was Friday, wasn't it? After going over this again, I noticed something. All the deaths, which are beneficial to Yotsuba, are concentrated around the weekends."

  
        "Huh? On the weekends?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "With the first few victims, the time of deaths appears to be at random. More recently, they all take place between Friday night and Saturday afternoon," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Isn't this too much of a coincidence?" Ryuichi asked. Kohaku and Sakae looked at him and thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. There was no way that was just happening by chance. There definitely had been some planning to make those deaths happen.

  
        "I'm amazed that you even noticed that, chief," Matsuda stated, looking at Mr. Yagami.

  
        " _I can't believe I didn't notice that shit. Actually, I can believe that I didn't notice that shit. I use to be completely like L and after becoming friends with L and falling for him, I became less smart and yet L is still the same except he shows emotions every now and then. Hmm... I wonder if L noticed the weekend theory thing. Probably,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "Matsuda, I thought I told you to stop calling me chief," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "I'm sorry," Matsuda apologized. "But you'll always be the chief to me."

  
        "This is a really important clue, Dad. Nice work," Light said, turning around in his chair to look at Mr. Yagami, grinning a bit.

  
        "Yeah. This brings us one step closer to finding Kira," Kohaku said, looking at Mr. Yagami and smiling at him.

  
        Sakae smiled. "Awesome job, Mr. Yagami."

  
        Mr. Yagami smiled a little bit at the praise he received from his loved ones. He looked at Light. "Well, you know, I can't let myself fall behind you and Ryuzaki. After all, the last thing I want is to be deadweight."

  
        "Huh, deadweight?" Matsuda mumbled to himself.

  
        "Is Kira someone from Yotsuba or is Kira simply using Yotsuba? I haven't figured that out yet, but we'll proceed under the assumption that this is Kira's doing. We will focus on Yotsuba," L said.

  
        "Seems like the best idea," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Yep," Ryuichi agreed.

  
        "Guess we can see where it goes," Sakae commented.

  
        Mogi stood up, gathering a large pile of papers into his hands and carrying them over to where L sat. "This is all of the Yotsuba group's employees. Here." He placed the large pile down on the counter.

  
        L looked at him. "Thank you very much." L moved the pile so it was directly in front of him.

  
        Light stared at the pile. "That's 300,000 people. How did he put this together so quickly? That's amazing, Mogi."

  
        "He's been incredibly efficient from the start," L stated.

  
        "That's a lot of shit to look through," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Wonderful," Sakae said, sighing slightly.

  
        "Who's going to be looking through all that?" Ryuichi mumbled to himself.

  
        "Does it matter?" Kohaku asked him, having heard what he mumbled.

  
        "A little bit," Ryuichi replied.

  
        Matsuda got out of his chair. "Ryuzaki. Is there anything I can do to help the investigation besides the manager thing?"

  
        "So you really wanna be useful?" L questioned.

  
        "Yes!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "Then could you get me another cup of coffee?" L asked.

  
        " _Oh course he'd ask Matsuda to do that. No one really respects Matsuda around here,"_ Kohaku thought. " _Ryuichi doesn't do much just like Matsuda but he gets respect. I mean, he is Sakae's brother. L only allowed him to be a part of the case because Sakae had to be confined for a while and he continued to allow him to stay since Ryuichi wasn't leaving without Sakae."_ Kohaku began to get lost in her thoughts for a few seconds before she blinked and snapped out of it.

  
        "Huh?" Matsuda wondered. Get coffee? That's all he was good for? Getting coffee?

  
        "And for our guests over there as well," L said, gesturing behind him towards the couches that laid quite a ways from them. Everyone, but L, looked and saw a man & woman sitting on one of the couches.

  
        "Guests?" Sakae wondered, staring at the two strangers.

  
        Kohaku blinked. "When the hell did they get here? I didn't see them earlier…unless I'm going blind or something."

  
        "Ah, who are they?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Hold on a sec, who let them in?" Light asked.

  
        "I was going to ask the same thing," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Those two are the newest members of the task force," L stated.

  
        The man and woman got off the couch and walked over to everyone. The man introduced himself first. "My name is Aiber. I'm a con man. How's it going?" Aiber was wearing a professional suit and he had light blue eyes & blonde hair.

  
        The woman introduced herself next. "I'm Wedy and I'm a thief by trade." She was wearing sunglasses, she also happened to be wearing something formal, and her hair was blonde.

  
        "Hm. A con man and a thief," Mr. Yagami mumbled.

  
        L stood up and faced towards the two new members. "That's right. Aiber is a lifelong con man. He has unparalleled social skills that allow him to be friendly and gain the trust of any target. We'll use him for infiltration. As for Wedy, she is a thief specialized in cracking high end security systems. As proof of that, she was able to enter the building without setting off a single alarm."

  
        "You expect us to work with criminals?" Mr. Yagami asked angrily.

  
        " _Seems like a good plan to me_ ," Kohaku thought.

  
        " _Whatever works,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        " _If they can help, then it works,"_ Sakae thought, looking at them.

  
        "Yes. That is correct," L said, answering Mr. Yagami's question. "However, these two have never once been caught. So it's unlikely they'll be killed by Kira. Think of them as professionals of the underworld."

  
        Light stood up, standing right in front of L, who had turned towards him. "I understand. To investigate Yotsuba, we're gonna need the help of people like this. Let's all do our part and make this happen, OK?"

  
        "Yeah!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "Absolutely!" Kohaku cheered, fist pumping the air. L let a laugh slip from his lips and he even wrapped his arms around her. Sure he was out of character but once a guy falls in love, parts of him that were never seen, and didn't seem to exist at the time, start surfacing.

  
        Sakae smiled a little bit. "Of course," she commented. Light smiled and hugged her. Ryuichi glared in their direction, making Light let go of Sakae and also causing Light to blush a little bit.

  
        "Oh. Yeah," Mr. Yagami said, not very excited about working with criminals.

* * *

        It's the next day, October 8th. Misa was on the set of a new movie she was starring in. It's late and Misa is in the middle of a scene.

  
        "I love you. So please don't tell me you are going home now. Instead, say you'll stay by my side," actor Hideki Ryuga said, his hands on Misa's shoulders and he was staring into her eyes. The two of them were standing beside a large fountain. Ryuga began to lean in to kiss Misa.

  
        Misa looked away from Ryuga and towards the director. "Ah, Mr. Director? I can't do this. Can we cut the love scenes, please?"

  
        "Wait! Where did this come from all of the sudden?!" the director exclaimed.

  
        "Can't we just fake kiss or something?" Misa asked.

  
        "What?! You kidding! You can't expect us to make a movie like that!" The director walked over to her.

  
        "If I say no, then it's no. Okay?" Misa stared at the director.

  
        "Oh, come on!" the director exclaimed.

  
        "C'mon. Get rid of her! Fire her!" a woman said.

  
        Misa sat in her chair. "Matsu?! Hello, Matsu?! Get over here!" Matsuda had came with her since he was suppose to be her manager. However, it seemed he was no longer there.

  
        "I guess he had run off somewhere," a man on set said.

  
        "Huh." Misa crossed her arms.

  
        Kohaku walked over to her and stood right in front of her, wearing L's clothing just like she has been for quite some time. Not only had Matsuda had came with Misa but Kohaku had went along too just because Sakae, Mr. Yagami, and Light complained that Kohaku hardly left the special facility and needed to go out to walk around for a while. Matsuda was the one to suggest she go with him and Misa to the movie set; hell, he practically dragged her out of the building as he suggested it. "Why the hell don't ya want to do the kissing scenes? Who knows, you might end up liking the kiss a lot and end up with Ryuga."

  
        "I was just nervous…" Misa half-lied.

  
        Kohaku crossed her arms and stared at Misa. "Tell the truth."

  
        Misa sighed. "I really am nervous but… I also can't do it because of Light."

  
        "Because you love him, right?" Kohaku questioned. Misa nodded. Kohaku reached over and patted Misa's head. "Misa… Light loves Sakae and Sakae loves him. You should move on. It'll take time but once your love for Light is gone, you'll be so much happier and more willing to want to be with other guys. Besides… you may just think you love him. Listen to your heart. Do you really love Light?"

  
        "Mmm…" Misa smiled a little at Kohaku. "Maybe you're right… I should try moving on… My heart is...confused. I don't know if I really love him. If I do find someone else and fall in love with him, I hope our love is as beautiful as your love for Ryuzaki."

  
        Kohaku blushed a lot. "Huh? But isn't the love between Sakae and Light beautiful too?"

  
        Misa laughed a little. "Well… to be honest, I think they are cute together and their love for each other is cute… but it's completely different for you and Ryuzaki. It's like...you two were made for one another; the perfect match."

  
        Kohaku smiled, blush remaining in her cheeks. "Thanks… I guess."

  
        "Mhm." Misa smiled at Kohaku more.

* * *

        Back at the special facility, Mr. Yagami and Mogi were working on something, L was eating cake, Sakae and Ryuichi were having a sibling talk, and Light was staring at L as he was thinking. Aiber and Wedy were not in the room currently. Watari was in his own little room with surveillance footage.

  
        " _Would I punish evil doers and criminals if I could kill by just seeing a name and a face? Is that what I'd do if I had that sort of power? I mean, it's true that there are lots of people around that the world could frankly do without, but I don't think I'd become a murderer just to change the world. Surely I wouldn't do that! No, I'm thinking too hard about this. There's no way anyone can murder so many people and not have any memory of it_ ," Light thought.

  
        "What's wrong?" L asked, pulling Light out of his thoughts. L's question also pulled Ryuichi and Sakae out of their conversation to look at Light since they happened to be standing close enough to hear them. "You've been staring at me for the last two minutes. Wait, let me guess. You must be annoyed because I'm the only one eating cake at the moment, am I right?"

  
        " _If Kohaku was here, she'd be either smiling or laughing,"_ Sakae thought. " _I wish I went with her! Being on a movie set must be awesome!"_

  
        "No, that's not it," Light said.

  
        "Here." L held his plate towards Light. That definitely would've made Kohaku smile or laugh for sure if she had been there.

  
        "Really, don't worry about it," Light said.

  
        Watari's insignia appeared on the computer that laid where L was. "Ryuzaki."

  
        "Yes? What is it?" L asked.

  
        "Detective Eraldo Coil has just received a private request to investigate and reveal the identity of L," Watari stated.

  
        " _Huh?"_ Sakae thought.

  
        " _Interesting,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        Light got out of his seat and moved to stand closer to L while Mr. Yagami and Mogi walked over and stood behind L. Ryuichi and Sakae also moved over to where L was sitting.

  
        "Isn't Eraldo Coil suppose be the second-greatest detective in the world after L himself? Who on earth would send such a request?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        A man's profile and picture appears on the computer screen instead of Watari's insignia. "The man who set up Coil's service is Masahiko Kida. The head of Rights and Planning Department of the Yotsuba Group's headquarters in Tokyo," Watari stated.

  
        "So, it is Yotsuba," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "We know that Yotsuba must be linked to Kira. If they are trying to find out L's identity, it's probably because they wanna kill him and need that information to do it," Light stated.

  
        "True," Sakae commented.

  
        "Hmm," Ryuichi nodded slightly.

  
        "This isn't good. We are already short-handed enough as it is and now we have to worry about Coil, too," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "It's quite all right. The detective known as Eraldo Coil is me," L said, his mouth slightly full of cake. "It's quite simple, really. Three of the greatest detectives in the world; L, Coil, and Deneuve, they are all actually me. It's been my experience that people who try to find me usually fall for this." L picked up a strawberry and looked back towards Mr. Yagami and Mogi. "I'll give you this strawberry if you keep it a secret, OK?" He dropped the strawberry in Mogi's hand and Mogi put the strawberry in his pocket.

  
        "Wow." Sakae laughed a little bit.

  
        " _What the heck? Why would you put a damn strawberry in your pocket?"_ Ryuichi thought, looking towards Mogi.

  
        "I'm impressed as always, Ryuzaki," Light said.

  
        Everyone scattered then. Mr. Yagami, Mogi, Light, and L went back to what they had been doing: working, eating, and thinking. Ryuzaki and Sakae went over to one of the couches to sit and relax.

  
        Sakae settled into the couch. "This…has truly been interesting," she commented while looking around the room. "What are your thoughts on things, Ryu?"

  
        "I don't really know," Ryuichi replied. "I'm not really paying attention much since I have other things to worry about."

  
        "Really, like what?" Sakae asked.

  
        "Bills, my job, your well-being; right now, this case isn't at top priority at the moment," Ryuichi stated.

  
        Sakae thought for a moment then nodded, agreeing with her brother. Though this is important to her, if felt like there could be something more to worry about. Perhaps school or family; but she could really figure it out. "Well, I guess we are just going to have to power through," she commented.

  
        "Maybe, just maybe," Ryuichi mumbled to himself, lost in thought.

  
        Sakae stood up and walked back over to where Light and L sat. L was still munching on what remained of his cake. Light seemed to be deep in thought again. "What are you thinking so hard about?"

  
        Light blinked and smiled at her. "Nothing really; just wondering if everything will go back to normal once all of this is over."

  
        "What do you mean by normal?" Sakae asked.

  
        "To the way things were before this, I guess," Light clarified.

  
        "Ah, I see," Sakae commented. "Then not normal but how it used to be, but I'm afraid that won't be able to happen."

  
        "What?" Light looked at Sakae confused.

  
        "Light, look at us. Kohaku has someone she loves," she said glancing over at L for a second before looking back at Light. "You and I are together, as well. Also, we are no longer in high school. Nothing can be like how it used to be. But in a way," Sakae kissed Light's cheek, "It may just be better."

  
        Light smiled at her. "You may just be right."

  
        "Of course I'm right; I may not be wise but I do know what I'm talking about." Sakae smiled slightly.

  
        "Whatever you say," Light joked, receiving a playful glare from Sakae. They smiled at each other before getting back to work.

* * *

        After some time, Aiber and Wedy had entered the room. L had just finished telling them what their jobs were. Everyone there (Sakae, Ryuichi, Light, Mr. Yagami, Mogi, L, Aiber, and Wedy) was crowded in a circle.

  
        "Alright. I just have to get close to them, right? Leave it to me," Aiber said, leaning against the counter that held the computers and screens in the room.

  
        Wedy had a cigarette in hand and she was wearing a bare shouldered top. "And you want me to make sure that we're able to breach the security and override the surveillance cameras in the Yotsuba Group's head office, is that all?"

  
        "Yes. At this point, it's safe to assume that Kira and the Yotsuba Group are connected in some way. We are going to investigate Yotsuba to determine who holds Kira's power and if there is more than one person who possesses this ability. We need a clear understanding quickly. We cannot let anyone from Yotsuba figure out that we are investigating them. Please realize that if they do notice it, it means we won't be able to catch Kira," L said.

  
        " _Something doesn't feel right,"_ Sakae thought to herself, looking around.

  
        "Please be sure not to act impossibly out of panic or haste and don't take matters into your own hands," L stated.

  
        Watari's insignia appeared on the computer behind L. "Ryuzaki."

  
        "Yes. What is it?" L asked.

  
        "I have just received an emergency signal from Matsuda's belt," Watari stated.

  
        " _Oh no,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "Eh, where is he?" L questioned.

  
        "It seems that it's coming from within the head office of the Yotsuba Group," Watari revealed.

  
        "What's happening?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        " _This can't be good,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "Disregard everything I just said." L turned towards his computer. "I'll need to rethink our strategy. Matsuda, you idiot!" It wasn't too long later when L called Matsuda's phone. Matsuda answered after a few seconds. L spoke in a tone that sounded half-drunk and half sober. "Yo, Matsui! Yeah, it's me, Asahi. It's been a while, buddy." L was quiet for a moment as Matsuda responded. Everyone was staring at L.

  
        " _What is he doing?"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        " _Ah, I see,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "Yeah, it doesn't sound like you are out right now. Don't tell me you're home already," L said into the phone, still speaking in the half-drunk and half sober tone. "So, you by yourself?" L was quiet once more and once he got his answer, he moved the phone away from his ear and covered up the phone's transmitter with his fingers as he spoke to everyone in the room with him, using his normal tone. "He's not with Misa Amane or Kohaku right now. Matsuda must be on his own."

  
        Sakae and Light both were a bit relieved to hear that Kohaku hadn't been dragged into Matsuda's stupid idea but she'd probably end up being a part of the plan to help him out of his situation. Also, Sakae was concerned about Matsuda; maybe more concerned about him than anyone in the room.

  
        L was back on the phone using his half drunk and half sober tone. "So, do you wanna, like, go out drinking tonight?" L waited for Matsuda's response. "Oh, what's the matter? Don't tell me your wallet is in trouble again." He waited for a response again. After getting it, he moved the phone away once more and once again covered the transmitter. "Matsuda is saying he is in big trouble."

  
        " _I knew it,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        L was back on the phone again, using his other tone for the last time. "Oh, that's too bad. Guess I'll drag you out some other time, alright? See ya, buddy!" L hung up the phone.

  
        "This doesn't seem too good," Ryuichi mumbled.

  
        " _I hope he is alright,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        About five minutes had gone by. Light put his phone away after trying to get ahold of Kohaku and Misa.

  
        "Misa's cell phone is on voice mail right now so I left her a message and told her to get me back as soon as she can. Kohaku's cell phone is on voice mail as well," Light said.

  
        "I would've thought Kohaku would answer her phone immediately," Sakae said.

  
        "Yeah. I thought so too." Light crossed his arms. "Maybe she can't answer the phone until filming is done."

  
        "Makes sense," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Yep," Sakae agreed.

  
        Mr. Yagami stared at the three of them for a moment before looking at L. "What are you planning to do, Ryuzaki?"

  
        "Well… We have to consider that if Matsuda dies, the suspicions about the Yotsuba Group will be confirmed," L said.

  
        "Hmm," Mogi and Mr. Yagami mumbled.

  
        "Let's just watch the situation for the time being," L said.

  
        " _L won't let Matsuda die, will he?"_ Sakae thought, frowning.

* * *

        Misa went over to her seat once more. Kohaku was standing nearby. "Mmm, I'm beat!"

  
        "I bet," Kohaku commented, biting her thumb nail.

  
        Misa pulled out her phone. "Huh, I got a call from Light! He really does worry about me when I'm late. Haha."

  
        "Misa," Kohaku said in a warning tone.

  
        Misa sighed. "I know. I need to find another guy but can't a girl get excited every now and then?"

  
        Kohaku cracked a smile. "I guess so." Misa called Light and held her phone to her ear.

  
        "Misa?" Light asked as he answered his phone. He was still at the special facility. Where else would he be, to be honest? He was cuffed to L!

  
        "Light, I'm sorry. I've been working so much," Misa said. "I'll be finished soon, okay?"

  
        "Misa, you're not with Matsuda at the moment, are you?" Light asked over the phone.

  
        "Him? He's a total jerk. He just ran off and left me here. Kohaku is here with me, though. We had a nice chat earlier! You can't know what it was about, though. It was all girl talk; no boys allowed to know!" Misa was smiling as she told Light this. Kohaku couldn't help but smile a little with Misa. Suddenly, Misa's work phone started to ring. "Oh, hang on. I'm getting a call on my work phone." She looked to see who was calling. "Oh, hey, it's from Matsu!"

  
        "Misa's just received a call from Matsuda," Misa heard Light say to everyone he was around.

  
        She heard L speak not long after. "Tell her to hold her phone so that we can listen as well."

  
        Misa did just that when she answered her work phone.

  
        "Misamisa, when you finished filming, come over to the Yotsuba Group's head office. It's still tentative, but there's a chance you may be able to appear in Yotsuba's commercials! We're working at it now," Matsuda told Misa.

  
        "What?! Are you for real?! You are amazing, Matsu. So, that's what you've been up to all this time. Don't worry. We're wrapping up soon so I will head there once the last scene is done," Misa replied.

  
        "Great. It's just a short trip by taxi," Matsuda told her.

  
        "See you there, Matsu!" Misa hung up her work phone.

  
        Light began to speak to Misa again. Kohaku watched as Misa listened to what he told her, wondering what he could possibly be telling her. Honestly, Kohaku didn't really care about the call much. She was worried about Matsuda. What if Kira was one of the Yotsuba members? Matsuda could be killed. Kohaku pushed her anxiety aside as Misa hung up her phone. "Well?"

  
        "Light told me to get the Yotsuba guys to my floor in the hotel somehow," Misa said.

  
        "Invite them for an orgy," Kohaku suggested. Misa blinked. "You don't know what that is, do you?" Misa shook her head. "An orgy is a wild party filled with excessive drinking and unrestrained sexual activity."

  
        Misa blushed slightly. "A wild party with drinking, sure, but sex?! No way!"

  
        "It was only a suggestion," Kohaku said.

  
        "A dirty one. You have a dirty mind," Misa stated.

  
        "Eh, not really. I only suggested that because I was trying to think of something those men from Yotsuba would like," Kohaku said. "Don't you have one more scene?"

  
        "Yep!" Misa stood up and headed onto the set of the last scene.

  
        " _She is so annoying...but so kawaii at the same time_ ," Kohaku thought.

* * *

        Misa and Kohaku were inside the Yotsuba head office. Misa was wearing a cute outfit and Kohaku was not wearing L's clothing currently due to Misa wanting her to look decent in front of the Yotsuba crew so Kohaku was wearing a black crop halter top, a black skirt to match, and black flip flops to keep the ensemble together; any other color wouldn't go too well with black, unless Kohaku had been given some blue jeans, but in this case, she was not given them.

  
        " _This outfit sucks ass,"_ Kohaku thought. " _I never thought that I'd be wearing a fucking skirt. I look like a hooker or something who really loves black. The color part is true, I love the color black, but the hooker thing is not true at all. Not only will the men stare at Misa, they will stare at me. I can't believe I let Misa convince me to wear this. I don't even know how she did. Oh wait, she had tears in her eyes. Yeah, that's right. She made me feel guilty about hating what she picked out for me to wear and these are clothes from the set. I can't believe Misa tricked me into wearing this shit..."_

  
        "I'm Misamisa!" Misa cheered.

  
        "And I'm Usagi, Misa's friend," Kohaku said flatly, using her false name for the first time. " _Finally that damn fake name comes in handy. Why the fuck did I have to become a part of this bullshit?"_

  
        "My only rule is I don't do nudes but swimsuits and lingeries are totally OK. It's really nice to meet you," Misa said.

  
        "Hm, I gotta admit she is really cute in person," Takahashi said, referring to Misa. The rest of the men were staring at both of the girls.

  
        "That's not exactly the main issue now, wouldn't you agree?" Kida questioned.

  
        Misa looked at Matsuda. "By the way, Matsu, since Yotsuba is a big catch, I've just got the okay from our office to have special reception."

  
        "Hm, reception?" Matsu questioned.

  
        " _That's...one why of getting these guys to the special facility,"_ Kohaku thought. " _I guess."_

* * *

        At the special facility, everyone in the surveillance screen room (Sakae, Ryuichi, Light, Mr. Yagami, L, and Mogi) were watching as the main Yotsuba men followed Misa, Matsu, and Kohaku into Misa's room. No one them seemed to notice what Kohaku was wearing because they were mainly watching the Yotsuba men. In Misa's room, a few girls in matching outfits of different colors were waiting inside.

  
        "Good evening! We're very pleased to meet you!" the girls said together.

  
        "Tonight, I'll be entertaining you as our special guests along with the girls from the agency," Misa said.

  
        "Hey, is it just me or is this getting weird?" Shimura asked.

  
        "Hm, well, it can't be helped," Midou said. "But right now, we can't afford to leave Misa's manager alone for a second."

  
        "Let's just go with it. I'm gonna enjoy myself," Takahashi said. With that, all the men decided to stay and have fun.

  
        " _Ryuzaki and the others will be able to watch us from here. This is my way out,"_ Matsuda thought.

  
        Soon enough, most of the men were sitting on the three couches that were in the room, eating and drinking. Namikawa was the only one standing with a drink in hand.

  
        "Here you are. Drink right up," Misa said, pouring more sake into Takahashi's cup.

  
        Kohaku was sitting in a girly way in a chair in the corner. She didn't want to be touched by any of the men. Matsuda stood near her. " _This is annoying."_

  
        "Hm, well, well. Misa's pretty good at this sort of thing," L said as he watched the live footage.

  
        "Where's Kohaku?" Light wondered. Sakae was staring at the screen with wide eyes. Light noticed. "What?" Sakae pointed and everyone spotted Kohaku in clothing they never thought she'd wear. "What the hell is she wearing?!"

  
        "I would say that Misa got her into that outfit somehow," Sakae said. "I don't like this. What if one of the guys try something and she blows everything when she starts fighting?"

  
        "We should get her out of there!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed. "She could fall victim to rape!"

  
        "No such thing will happen to her," L stated, staring at Kohaku on the screen. "She'll be fine." He was mainly reassuring himself. He didn't want anything to happen to her and he definitely didn't want any of the men flirting with her.

  
        They all went back to watching the screen. Kohaku got bored of sitting still and stood up. She moved towards the balcony window. She was standing near Namikawa. He looked in her direction. "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself," he stated.

  
        Kohaku blinked, not expecting one of the men to actually talk to her when there were multiple of other women in the room that were more attractive than her. Most of the men in the room were more than likely married too. Kohaku looked at Namikawa. "I'm not someone who'd love to party all night."

  
        "I see. So, why did you come here then?" Namikawa asked her.

  
        "Well, Misa convinced me to come along," Kohaku said. She crossed her arms.

  
        "You two must be close friends," Namikawa assumed.

  
        "Not really. We're somewhat friends. She just happens to be very convincing sometimes." Kohaku looked away from Namikawa. She didn't see Namikawa nod shortly before he looked back at the men and the women, plus Misa. " _That was an awkward chat."_

  
        "Excuse me, guys. I gotta go to the bathroom." Matsuda acted like he was drunk and headed into the bathroom. Once he was well hidden, he didn't hesitate to call L. "Ryuzaki, are you watching this?"

  
        "Yes," L said into the phone.

  
        "Look, I'm really sorry that I…" Matsuda started.

  
        "That's not important right now," L said.

  
        "OK. Listen. The eight men who came here were having a meeting to determine who they get Kira to kill for them. I heard them say it clearly. There's no doubt they're behind this," Matsuda stated.

  
        "Yes, that is probably true but if you did overhear them and they caught you, then they'll almost certainly be trying to kill you now," L stated.

  
        " _Matsuda might die?!"_ Sakae thought in panic. " _L has a plan right?!"_

  
        "Ah, I know. Do you think there's anything I can do to save myself?" Matsuda asked.

  
        "Well, luckily you still are alive, so we may be able to save you, but for that to happen, you will have to die before they can kill you," L stated.

  
        "What?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        " _What the hell?"_ Sakae thought.

  
        " _What is he thinking?"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        "I want you to listen to me very carefully," L said. He began to tell Matsuda what to do.

  
        "Oh...no way! But that's...that's crazy!" Matsuda exclaimed. About thirty minutes lately, Matsuda bursted out of the bathroom, startling everyone but Kohaku. He acted like a drunk person once more. "Wow, I'm so drunk!" He walked by everyone and towards the balcony.

  
        " _Hmm… He must've called L… He must've had a plan; always does."_ Kohaku eyed Matsuda.

  
        "Hi, everyone! Now everyone, the moment you've all been waiting for! The Taro Matsui show, haha!" Matsuda opened the balcony window and soon he was on the balcony and he was getting onto the edge of the railing.

  
        "Hey, what's he doing?" Higuchi questioned, standing up. Everyone was watching Matsuda.

  
        "Yay, you can do it! Go, Matsu!" Misa cheered.

  
        "Yeah! Go Matsu!" Kohaku cheered along with her. " _I hate my life…"_

  
        "All right. Here we go!" Matsuda began to balance on the railing.

  
        Shimura ran over to him. "Hey, you're drunk. That's way too dangerous."

  
        "Don't worry. I'm just fine. I do this all the time." Matsuda did a handstand on the railing.

  
        "Stop. Hey, you, don't do it! What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?" various men yelled in slight panic.

  
        "It's all right. No pro… Aaaah!" Matsuda made it look like he had slipped and started falling from the balcony. No one saw that he actually landed safely on a mattress. When some of the men looked over, they saw what they thought was Matsuda's body, which actually happened to be Aiber.

  
        "Look, everyone. I think you should all just leave this for us to take care of and go home," Misa said, calmly.

  
        "What? But…" Takahashi started to speak.

  
        "Shut up." Kohaku stood and moved to stand beside Misa. "We'll handle this mess so don't worry about it."

  
        "Yeah. Just don't forget about me for your next campaign, okay?" Misa smiled at the men.

  
        "Let's go. If the press sees us, we are in trouble," Midou said.

  
        The men all left the room.

  
        Kohaku crossed her arms again. "I hate those men."

  
        "You hate a lot of people, Kohaku," Misa stated.

  
        "How the hell could you know that? We hardly talk." Kohaku stared at Misa.

  
        "We've known each other for a few months now and just because we don't talk much doesn't mean that I don't know anything about you," Misa stated with a big smile.

  
        "Mmm…" Kohaku nodded. She looked towards the balcony. " _Matsuda is still alive...right?"_

* * *

        The men watched as Aiber, who they think is Matsuda, is placed inside an ambulance. Soon enough, the ambulance left. Inside the ambulance, Aiber sat up and removed the wing. Ryuichi was in the front, driving the ambulance. Sakae was in the passenger's seat. L and Light were at the back with Aiber, dressed in similar clothing with matching hats that looked ridiculous.

  
        "While I'm aware of that fact we're shorthanded, I'm not very pleased about having to do this sort of thing myself. Matsuda, you idiot," L said, putting one of his fingers to his lips.

  
        "Hey," Sakae turned around to look at them. "Don't blame him. You never know what may go wrong."

  
        "That's why you always have to be on the lookout, think of every situation that could happen," Light stated.

  
        "How the hell is he supposed to know that? He still has the mind of a kid, in my opinion," Ryuichi said.

  
        "Concentrate on the road," Sakae ordered.

  
        "I am," Ryuichi replied.

  
        Sakae rolled her eyes. "At least everything is okay for now. Just have to figure out…" she turned back around in her seat, thinking to herself.

  
        "Figure out what?" L asked.

  
        "Huh? Oh nothing," Sake replied.

  
        "Let's just get back to the complex," Light said and everyone agreed.

* * *

        After some time, everyone was back in the facility. It was very late. L, Light, and Sakae were gathered around the couches in the large surveillance room. Matsuda, Mr. Yagami, and Mogi were at the large screens in the same room and they were looking at the computers in front of them, working. Kohaku was sitting down on one of the couches, sitting in a girly way and she also was still wearing the outfit Misa made her wear. Ryuichi wasn't in the room and Wedy, Aiber, Misa, and Watari were in other rooms in the building, like usual pretty much.

  
        "Why are you still wearing that?" Sakae asked.

  
        Kohaku blushed lightly. "I promised Misa I'd wear it until I go to bed." She looked elsewhere. " _So, Matsuda is alive. Yay. Now, he is stuck in here."_

  
        "This outfit doesn't completely suit you," Light commented. "The color, sure, but..."

  
        "Yeah, yeah," Kohaku said, looking back at the three.

  
        "It doesn't suit you at all," L commented.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku looked at the ceiling. In seconds, Sakae and Light were cuffed to each other again and L had pulled Kohaku off the couch and was heading out of the room with her. Kohaku blinked in surprise. "Uh, L?" L didn't answer.

  
        Eventually, they got to their room and L went to the closet, letting go of Kohaku's hand. Kohaku watched as L pulled out a pair of his clothes that were identical to what he was currently wearing (because he always wears the same clothing). He handed the clothes to Kohaku. "Change," he demanded.

  
        "Huh? Why?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        "I don't want anyone looking at you dressed like that. Also, I like it when you are wearing my clothing and not...that," L said, blushing a tiny bit.

  
        Kohaku laughed a little. "Awww. Fine. I'll change. If Misa finds out I didn't wear the clothes she picked out for me all night, no kisses for you for a week."

  
        L kissed her. "I'll kiss you whenever I want to."

  
        Kohaku blushed and smiled. "Now, either turn around or shoo so I can change."

  
        "It's not like I haven't seen anything before," L stated. "Remember?"

  
        Kohaku blushed even more as she recalled the time she and L had sex. "Of course I remember that. I was just messing with you."

  
        L shook his head and smiled. He hugged her. "I love you."

  
        "I love you too, L." Kohaku kissed his nose. "Now, you should go back and be re-cuffed to Light. I know how you don't like being uncuffed from him too long since you still think he was Kira...and since you think he still is Kira somehow."

  
        L nodded. He kissed Kohaku's head before leaving the room. Kohaku smiled once again and started changing her clothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you noticed how the behaviors of the characters changed? Kohaku most definitely has.


	22. The Search Continues

        Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, Mogi, L, Light, Kohaku, Sakae, and Ryuichi were in the special facility. It's October 15th. Wedy had gone into the place undetected and placed cameras in the meeting room. The meeting room was currently displayed on the largest screen in the room they were in.

  
        "It's been about a week since I first snuck into the place. It looks like things have been moving pretty smoothly since then, huh?" Matsuda said and asked.

  
        "We've almost got them," Light commented.

  
        "Mhm," Kohaku agreed.

  
        " _Awesome,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        Soon, the Yotsuba men gathered in the meeting room and sat in their seats.

  
        "So, one of these people...is Kira," L said, staring at the screen, eating some sweets as usual.

  
        "Well then," Ooi said. "Now that everyone's here, let's commence a regular meeting."

  
        "But if they supposed to be eight, why are there only seven?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "It's quite obvious what must've happened," Kohaku said.

  
        "One isn't there?" Sakae asked, but didn't care to receive an answer.

  
        "There are supposed to be eight of them but only seven are present. That must mean that…" Light said, staring at the screen.

  
        " _Get with the program, Light. You are a few seconds behind,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "They probably killed one of their members," L stated.

  
        "Most likely," Kohaku commented, crossing her arms.

  
        "In order to further the growth of the Yotsuba Group and thus serve its financial interests, who should we kill next?" Ooi asked the men around him.

  
        "Huh?" Light, Mr. Yagami, and Mogi grunted out simultaneously.

  
        "You see?! It's just like I told you last week!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        " _So, Kira is a part of Yotsuba?"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        " _This is not good. At this rate…"_ L thought.

  
        "But before we get to that, there are several topics that we need to discuss. First, there is the issue of Hatori's death," Ooi said.

  
        "That was unavoidable," Namikawa stated. "To be honest, in a certain sense, I'm relieved that Hatori's dead. Kira has demonstrated that we must be committed to these meetings. We now know what'll happen if we try to leave."

  
        "I think we all understand what Hatori's death means for the rest of us. Let's not take it lightly. Now, moving on. Our next topic is Eraldo Coil's report," Ooi said.

  
        "One of their members just died and that's all they are going to say?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Seems like it," Kohaku commented.

  
        Sakae nodded. "Yep."

  
        "Hmm…" Ryuichi thought to himself for a moment, staring at the screen.

  
        "So, did we really pay 5,000,000 dollars for this report?" Higuchi was holding up some papers, looking at them. "I mean, come on, look at this! He hasn't found out anything important about L like his name or his face! Is this Coil guy seriously going to be even useful to us?" Higuchi wondered.

  
        "Hold on a second. There is something very interesting in the last part of this report. Coil's warning us that we can't afford to take L's existence too lightly. In particular, it says that concentration of killings that are beneficial to Yotsuba will likely be noticed by L if they continue on Fridays and Saturdays," Ooi said.

  
        "Sounds like this Eraldo Coil has figured out what we've been up to. I admit he's quite impressive. At any rate, I personally think we should stop killing every weekend," Midou stated.

  
        "This is unbelievable! It's like they're trying to confess everything," Matsuda said.

  
        "Damn," Ryuichi muttered.

  
        " _This is...interesting,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "Hm. As long as we have this video as evidence, we could probably arrest all seven of them," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Mmm." Kohaku bite her thumb a bit.

  
        " _This is not good,"_ L thought.

  
        Higuchi started speaking. "Kira hasn't been flexible up till now, has he? It would be nice if he could spread out his killings over the whole week."

  
        "The fact that Coil noticed what we've been up to makes it too dangerous to continue killing at our usual pace. From now on, we have to be even more careful and make sure that nobody else happens to notice a trend in these deaths," Midou responded.

  
        "Now, on to the main topic," Ooi said. "Who should we kill?"

  
        "He really wants someone to die, doesn't he?" Kohaku muttered.

  
        "Apparently so," Sakae commented.

  
        "I think we should focus on ELF Insurance. If they expand into the Japanese market, Yotsuba and many other companies will lose valuable clients to them," Midou said.

  
        "Agreed," Kida said.

  
        "Alright. Any objections to killing these people from ELF with accidental deaths?" Ooi asked.

  
        "No objections," the rest of the men said.

  
        "They decided that quickly?" Kohaku questioned, surprised.

  
        Light was surprised too. "Is this for real? How can they do this so easily?"

  
        "You'd bee surprised at what people can do in this world," Sakae commented.

  
        L was eating some kind of dessert and staring at it while listening to the conversation. Kohaku glanced at him and smiled, leaning towards him to kiss his cheek.

  
        "Another potential candidate is Sentaro Zenzai; a member of the Kugisawa Group. He's been protesting Yotsuba's resort development plans. Zenzai's known to have high blood pressure so we can designate a time for him to suffer a stroke resulting in a natural death. Any objections?" Ooi asked.

  
        "No objections," the rest of the men said.

  
        "Kira, deaths by accident, by disease, designated times of deaths. It's all just as we suspected! We were right!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "Calm your non-existent tits, Light," Kohaku commented. Light glared at her a bit. She smiled a bit and he couldn't help but smile back at least a little bit.

  
        "Unfortunately, we can only be completely sure after those people they've named are dead. We will continue to monitor these meetings and take note of what they say, how they act, and, most importantly, whether the people they choose actually die." L stacked sugar cubes onto his spoon and started to balance them. "If we can confirm the connection between their plans and the deaths, then we'll definitely be able to catch Kira."

  
        "Ryuzaki!" Mr. Yagami and Light yelled, both of them glaring at L.

  
        L's stack of sugar cubes fell and he managed to catch a few in his mouth. Kohaku giggled a little bit. L looked back and forth between Light and Mr. Yagami. "Eh, oh, what is it? There's no need to yell in unison."

  
        "I can't carry on knowing these people will die! That's just immoral!" Light yelled.

  
        "Right!" Mr. Yagami agreed. Sakae looked down at her hands and remained quiet. Ryuichi just listened.

  
        Kohaku stayed quiet too and looked back and forth between everyone who was talking. " _Oh boy…"_

  
        "I know you're planning to catch Kira by letting these guys actually carry out these murders, but we can't let that happen!" Light yelled.

  
        "That's right! It's obvious that these seven men are behind the killings. With Matsuda's testimony and this footage we've recorded, we have all the evidence," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Still," Ryuichi muttered a little before trailing off.

  
        "You're making this difficult. If we were to take action now, everything we've done will go to waste," L stated.

  
        "L has a point," Kohaku commented quietly. " _I guess."_

  
        "Of course you'd agree with him," Ryuichi said.

  
        Everyone turned their attention back to the live footage of the Yotsuba meeting.

  
        "So what would you say we take care of the ELF in three weeks and, as for Zenzai, we'll ask Kira to kill him this weekend," Ooi said.

  
        "No objections," the rest of the men said.

  
        "If that's what they are going to do, then there is not much time left." Mr. Yagami looked at Light. "Light, we already know the phone numbers of these board members, don't we?"

  
        Light looked back at him. "Yeah."

  
        "I don't care who we call. I need to reach one of these men and have them stop these murders," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Hold the phone. Think about this for a second, Mr. Yagami," Kohaku said.

  
        "Please hold on. That will cause suspicion. It would mean the investigation caught up to them three days after they were contacted by Aiber. Also, it would make it far more unlikely that we will be able to discover who the real Kira might be. We can't afford such a huge setback seeing how far we've come. In order to catch Kira, we are going to need some solid proof," L said.

  
        "...Ryuzaki, if one of these seven men is in fact Kira, would it be safe to say that if I try calling one of them, the odds of that person actually being Kira is going to be one in seven?" Light questioned.

  
        " _He's going to call one of them, isn't he?"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        " _Well, this is getting more interesting by the moment,"_ Sakae thought.

  
        " _Let's see what happens,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        L looked at Light. "I'm thinking there could be more than one Kira among them; a probability of two in seven at most."

  
        "If we were prepared to let them know that the investigation is catching up to them, let's place our bets on these odds. Ryuzaki, I'm going to pose as L. Judging from their conversation so far, the one least likely to be Kira but with the most influence is…" Light stared at the large screen that showed the Yotsuba men. L and Light said "Namikawa" simultaneously while Matsuda said, "It's Ooi!"

  
        Kohaku face palmed. "Matsuda…" She moved her hand from her face. "Just stay quiet for once, okay?"

  
        "...Sorry…" Matsuda mumbled.

  
        "It's okay, Matsuda," Sakae said. She smiled a little and gave him a small pat on the back.

  
        "If you're gonna make a call, please use this phone." L gestured towards the phone that was sitting to his left on the counter. "It's set up so it can't be traced or tapped."

  
        "I love it when you think ahead," Kohaku said, kissing L's cheek. He smiled a little.

  
        "Isn't Namikawa the one who talked to you at Misa's party?" Sakae asked Kohaku.

  
        Kohaku shrugged. "Probably."

  
        Light went over to the phone and dialed Namikawa's number. Everyone else in the room looked at the footage of the Yotsuba men again.

  
        "You know, this will all go a lot faster if we kill off the execs of our rival companies and be done with it," Higuchi said.

  
        "Ah, that would be going a little too far," Midou said.

  
        "Why? We can kill them and split their holdings," Ooi said.

  
        Namikawa felt his phone vibrating in his pocket so he pulled it out and answered it.

  
        "Is this Reiji Namikawa, head of the Yotsuba Group's marketing department?" Light asked him. His voice was modified so that the man couldn't hear his real voice.

  
        "Hm, yes. And who is this?" Namikawa asked.

  
        "Listen carefully but don't draw attention to yourself. I am L," Light said through the phone. "I've placed cameras and wiretaps surround that meeting room. Even as I speak, I'm recording footage of your entire meeting. The first thing you discussed was Hatori's death. Now you are debating who to kill next, am I correct? If you are not Kira or if you are not someone who can contact Kira directly, let's make a deal." L, Kohaku, and Sakae were staring at Light as he spoke to Namikawa on the phone. "I need you to delay the deaths of ELF's president and Mr. Zenzai by one month. I got it won't be difficult for someone in your standing to accomplish that."

  
        "Yes. Yes, I see. Right. Eh, go on," Namikawa said.

  
        "If you complete your end of the deal and cooperate with our requests, from now on, the your crimes, no, not just yours but everyone's crimes with the exception of Kira's will be pardoned, based on the premise that Kira blackmailed you into participating in these meetings," Light continued.

  
        "I see. Okay," Namikawa responded. He hid his emotions very well but deep down, he was conflicted.

  
        "If you tell the others about this call, they will panic. It would be of no advantage to you. Everyone would be arrested immediately. But that's not my intention. I'm planning to go one-on-one against Kira. Listen. If I win against Kira, you'll be acquitted of all charges. If Kira wins, then you'll be free to carry on with your comfortable life. Just play along with both parties. Staying on the sidelines would be best. You're not in a position to lose anything regardless of who wins in the end. You would only be at a loss if I decided to arrest you right here and now," Light said. "That's all for now."

  
        "Right, I'll see you on Monday then." Namikawa hung up the phone.

  
        "What's going on, Namikawa? Who was that?" Ooi asked, looking in his direction.

  
        "Oh, one of my men screwed up again and I'll have to fix it on Monday." Namikawa put his phone away. "Anyway, sorry for the interruption. Let's get back on topic. We were discussing when we should kill Zenzai and the men from ELF. Here's what I'm thinking. We'll give Coil one month to reveal L's identity. If still he hasn't uncovered the information we need, then we can go ahead and kill the targets randomly. Then, we'll give him another month to investigate and repeat the process. Once we get rid of L permanently, we can go back to killing two or three people a week. In other words, our top priority should be the elimination of L."

  
        "I see. Once we kill L. there won't be anything standing in our way. But until then, we need to be careful," Midou said.

  
        "Right. Sounds like a reasonable plan to me. We need to be extremely careful if we don't wanna get caught. Then, we are in agreement. We'll give Coil one month," Ooi said.

  
        "Agreed," the other men said.

  
        "We'll still be meeting on a weekly basis. That is all," Ooi said.

  
        Their meeting ended and they all exited the meeting room.

  
        "That went well," L stated.

  
        "Yeah," Light said.

  
        "You really are quite amazing, Light. Not only did you manage to delay the killings but you also set up Namikawa's potential more for us. Sounded exactly like the sort of thing I would do and you thought of it quicker than I did. At this rate, if I end up dying somehow, it's quite possible that you would be capable of succeeding me," L said.

  
        "I don't want to hear this…" Kohaku walked away from them so she was out of hearing range. She didn't like hearing L talk about himself possibly dying and she never was going to like it.

  
        "Kohaku…" Sakae followed her. Ryuichi wasn't too far behind Sakae.

  
        "Why are you being so morbid? There isn't time for that. We only have a month to figure out Kira's identity and gather evidence against him to prove it! This is only the beginning," Light said.

  
        "Yes, but you were the one who first noticed the connection between Yotsuba and Kira. You actually might be more capable than I am. I honestly believe you could take this on," L said.

  
        "Huh?" Light stared at L.

  
        "Tell me. If I should die, would you take over for me as L?" L asked him. He glanced at Light. " _If he is Kira and just playing innocent, he's sure to say yes."_

  
        "What are you talking about?" Light questioned. "As long as we are joined by these," Light lifted up his arm in which the cuff was connected, "We would die together anyway." Almost immediately after he said that, he realized what L was doing. "I see. Ryuzaki, I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to tell everyone what you're really thinking right now. He thinks that if I am Kira, then there are two possibilities: either I'm just pretending I'm not him and putting on an act or Kira's power has passed on from me to someone else and I have no memory that I was ever Kira in the first place. He's trying to determine which, if either, is the truth. The first theory, if I am putting on an act, he will never remove these handcuffs. No, even if I wasn't pretending to be innocent, I'm sure he still wouldn't take them off. Ryuzaki still believes that I'm Kira. Even if that power had been passed to someone else, he thinks that I would have planned to have it return to me once I'm safe from suspicion. In other words, I wasn't being controlled at all. He thinks it was a plan to pass on the power and arrange for it to come back to me once I've been cleared."

  
        " _Impressive. He figured out exactly what I've been thinking all this time_ ," L thought. L had also thought about how Sakae and Kohaku had lost their memory of certain events that happened involving Light but wasn't sure if Light could've planned that as well or it just somehow happened, though it was more likely that Light could've done something, which in turn made L question if Kira had other powers besides transferring power and killing.

  
        "Ryuzaki's theory is that once I steal L's title, I would become Kira again," Light said.

  
        "Correct," L said.

  
        "Taking on the identity of L, having the power to control the police in every country while being Kira in secret, it's ideal and you are thinking I could do it, no, that I would do it. That's what you're saying, isn't it?" Light questioned.

  
        "Yes," L stated.

  
        "But what about now? I told you I don't want your title. That should prove even to you that I'm not putting on an act, shouldn't it?!" Light questioned.

  
        "If this is all an act and you are trying to steal my identity, there's no chance you would be foolish enough to reveal your plan in front of everyone. Won't you agree?" L asked.

  
        "Ryuzaki…" Light placed his hand on L's shoulder and turned L's chair so that L was facing him. This action seemed to catch the attention of Sakae, Ryuichi, and Kohaku who were still out of hearing range and happened to be looking at everyone at the time of Light's sudden action.

  
        "Huh?" L wondered.

  
        Light placed both of his hands on L's shoulders. "Do you think that I'm actually capable of becoming a murderer? Kira? Even after I help you catch him? Do I seem like that kind of person to you?"

  
        "Yes, you do. I've always thought so," L stated.

  
        Light punched L in the face just as L kicked him in the face. Sakae, Ryuichi, and Kohaku ran over.  
  


        "Not this again," Sakae said, frowning.

  
        "Okay, break it up!" Matsuda pushed Light and L away from each other a bit. "It was a draw so let's just leave that as an even match, okay?!"

  
        "Go Matsuda," Kohaku commented. "Re-grew some balls."

  
        Ryuichi snickered a little bit. "Don't know about that."

  
        "...Let's focus on catching the Kira that's in front of us right now. As long as I have the handcuffs on, you shouldn't have any complaints," Light said.

  
        L turned his chair back to how it was before. "I suppose so. We only have a month so there's no time to get distracted."

  
        Kohaku stood to L's right and went down to his level. "You okay?" she asked him softly. She stroked his cheek that had a scratch on it.

  
        "Yeah. Doesn't hurt much." L looked at her. "I'm sorry."

  
        "Hm…?" Kohaku stared at him and he stared at her.

  
        L could tell that Kohaku was a bit upset still from what she heard earlier. "I know how much you hate it when I mention how I could die, yet I continue to do so. I'm sorry for making you upset."

  
        "...Don't worry about it." Kohaku smiled at him sadly. "We're all going to die one day anyways, no? Besides… if anyone here is going to die by Kira's hands…" She leaned closer to L and whispered the last part into his ear. "...It'll be me." She kissed his head and headed out of the room. "I'm going to sleep. I can't handle but so much stress."

  
        "Kohaku-" Sakae tried to speak to comfort her friend.

  
        "I'm fine. Just need a nap. Laterz." Kohaku exited the room. Sakae frowned and sighed. Ryuichi patted Sakae's shoulder.

  
        "Leave it be," Ryuichi said to Sakae.

  
        "Still," Sakae mutters.

  
        Mr. Yagami sighs. He stares at the back of L's head. "Ryuzaki."

  
        "Yes?" L questioned, looking at Mr. Yagami.

  
        "We have plenty of footage from this meeting. Can't we use that as evidence against those seven men and prevent the murders of other criminals?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        " _Here we go again,"_ L thought. "Unfortunately, no." L started placing sugar cubes into his drink that was sitting on the counter that had been there the whole time and was probably could at this point in time.

  
        "Why?!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed.

  
        "Not this again," Ryuichi muttered under his breath.

  
        "At the moment, we're not certain if Kira is among those seven men. If all they have is a tenuous connection with him then Kira will kill them as soon as they are arrested. We have to be absolutely sure that Kira is among them so there is no point in detaining them now. And even if he does turn out to be one of them, it would still be quite difficult to determine who the culprit is. I believe it's still far too early for us to make our move," L stated.

  
        "Hold on. At the same time, we can't say that he is definitely not among the seven. That means there's a chance the killings would stop if we take this opportunity to arrest them," Mr. Yagami said aggressively. He was being very stubborn in a way.

  
        "I think Dad's right. There is a chance. We have to act on it," Light said.

  
        "Oh great." Ryuichi sighed a little.

  
        "Maybe…" Sakae muttered slightly.

  
        "Excuse me, but I think from now on, I should go after Kira by myself along with Kohaku when she is able. You can use these headquarters as you wish. I'll also be here, of course, and with Kohaku but we will all be working independently. You can conduct your investigation under your own direction. Feel free to arrest those men if you like. I would be carrying on my own investigation with Kohaku. We'll only get into arguments if we don't split up and act separately at this point. This is for the best," L said. Long statement short: L suggested that everyone, but Kohaku who will remain by L's side, to do their own thing. However, L does realize he will also still have Light cuffed to him, right? So, technically, he wouldn't be working with just Kohaku; Light would be kinda helping them out.

  
        "Are you saying you're going to figure out who Kira is by any means necessary?" Mr. Yagami questioned.

  
        "Yes." L started filling his cup full of untouched coffee up with sugar cubes. "This case will never be solved unless we capture Kira himself. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't say that preventing more deaths is pointless. But if we don't uncover the entire truth once and for all, Kira will only appear again and a number of victims will continue to increase. That's why I believe it's more important to find out who Kira really is. As I've been saying, I'm opposed to arresting those seven men. If you want to do so, then you'll have to take responsibility for it. I will pursue Kira with Kohaku." L's cup was full of sugar cubes. L stood up and started to walk away, bringing Light with him. "We only have one month. I wonder who will succeed."

  
        "What, Ryuzaki, where are you going?" Light questioned as he was dragged off with L.

  
        "To Amane's room. Sorry, I know you are on your father's side in all this, but I can't remove these handcuffs. I'm afraid you're gonna have to come along with me," L said as he headed up the stairs.

  
        "I'm coming with you!" Sakae yelped, speed walking to catch up with them.

* * *

        Light, L, and Sakae entered Misa's room. Sitting on the couch was Misa and Kohaku. Sakae blinked in surprise. "I thought you were heading to bed to nap," she said.

  
        "I was and then I found myself outside of Misa's room," Kohaku said.

  
        "We were having a nice chat about girl stuff," Misa said smiling.

  
        "Without me?!" Sakae exclaimed.

  
        Misa laughed. "Sorry. We'll invite you next time."

  
        "Misa Amane," L said. He went over to where she and Kohaku were, dragging Light. He got very close to her face. "Tell me. Do you love Light from the bottom of your heart?"

  
        "Huh?" Misa questioned. "Ah, yeah. Of course I do. He is my friend as well as Kohaku and Sakae. I love my friends."

  
        "You also worship Kira, don't you?" L asked.

  
        "Well, yeah," Misa said.

  
        "What does that have to do with this?" Kohaku questioned, yawning a little. It was obvious she was tired but she was staying awake.

  
        L continued speaking to Misa, moving onto the couch, sitting in his crouched position as Misa moved away from him. "If you had to choose between your friends and Kira, who would you pick?" Light was yanking on the chain that connected them. Sakae laughed a little bit, shaking her head.

  
        "What?! That's obvious!" Misa got up, gripping Kohaku's arm and dragging her along with her, and went over to were Light and Sakae stood. "Of course it's gonna be my friends! I'm really grateful to Kira, I want to meet him someday in person, but that's not friendship. I definitely choose Kohaku, Light, and Sakae." She pulled the three of them into a hug. L turned so he was facing the four of them, remaining in his crouching position on the couch.

  
        "Uh…" Kohaku felt weird and hugged back awkwardly. "Why did you say my name first?"

  
        "Because I am closer to you," Misa stated.

  
        "Eh? You are?" Kohaku questioned, confused.

  
        Sakae laughed as she hugged Kohaku, Misa, and Light. "You confused Kohaku, Misa. But I get what you meant. You talk to her more than Light and I."

  
        "Yeah," Light agreed, hugging the three girls somewhat.

  
        The four of them soon pulled out of their hug. Kohaku moved a little ways away from Light, Misa, and Sakae but didn't move any closer to L, keeping herself separated from everyone. She was too tired to have any more human contact.

  
        "But your friends are planning to catch Kira. Isn't that right?" L questioned.

  
        "Well, yes, of course we are," Light said. "Right?"

  
        "Yep!" Sakae said.

  
        Kohaku nodded slightly and yawned again. "Yeees."

  
        "They say they want to catch Kira. Now, what will you do?" L asked.

  
        "Well, if that's what they say, then I'm gonna support them no matter what," Misa said.

  
        "I see. So if you were given the opportunity to work with them on this investigation, would you take the offer?" L asked. He was still on the couch, facing the four of them.

  
        "What?! Ryuzaki…!" Light exclaimed.

  
        Sakae laughed a little. "Wonderful."

  
        "Are you seriously going to bring her into this more?" Kohaku questioned L.

  
        "Yeah!" Misa answered L's question. "Of course I would. I'd do anything I could to help them."

  
        "Wait! Hold on a second. Where are you going with this?" Light asked L.

  
        "I'm planning to have Aiber pose as Eraldo Coil again. He'll tell the Yotsuba members that while he was investigating L, he discovered that Misa Amane might know who he is. He'll also tell them that L brought her into questioning in the suspicion that she was the second Kira," L explained.

  
        "That part is true," Misa said.

  
        "Let him finish talking," Kohaku stated. "Sheesh."

  
        L got off the couch and walked to where he was standing close to Kohaku. "If the Yotsuba Group believes that Misa could be their lead to finding L, then they'd say they want to meet her to discuss their advertising campaign and they'll use that opportunity to question her. Thanks to Matsuda's screw up, they may already be considering Misa as their new spokesperson so this could work."

  
        "Yeah, right," Misa said.

  
        "We can't do that," Light said.

  
        "Why not?" Misa questioned him.

  
        "This plan is too risky. Who knows what could happen to you," Light stated.

  
        "I agree with Light," Kohaku said. "Something could happen to you, Misa. There are many possibilities of things that could happen to you."

  
        "Not that many but yeah, I agree that something could happen," Sakae commented.

  
        "Don't worry, I won't mind doing something like this if it's for you guys," Misa said.

  
        "Listen, Misa. If they suspect that you might know who L really is, we don't know how far they would be willing to go to get that information," Light said.

  
        "That...is completely true," Kohaku commented.

  
        "No problemo! I promise I won't say anything even if they torture me!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "I can attest that," L said.

  
        "But Kira can control his victim's actions before their death! There is a good chance he might try to manipulate her and reveal what she knows and then kill her! Also, if he does manage to kill L, he won't have any use for Misa. He'll kill her to keep her silent!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "Ah, I don't like the sound of that," Misa said.

  
        "Yeah. I don't like the sound of that as well," Kohaku said.

  
        L moved closer to Light, Sakae, and Misa, moving away from Kohaku a bit. "Light. You forget that if we win against Kira, Misa won't die. Besides, as long as we are handcuffed together, you and I share the same fate. If I die, so will you. If that happens, Misa is the one who would grieve most of all. Either we lose and both die together or we successfully catch Kira. Which is it?"

  
        "We catch Kira! I would never dream about living in the world without Light," Misa cheered.

  
        "Yes, that would be dark," L said.

  
        Kohaku laughed a little. "That's funny…" Sakae smiled a little.

  
        "Cut it out! This is just crazy!" Light yelled.

  
        "But we're running out of time and I'm starting to get desperate. As for Misa Amane, I've turned to her because I know her bravery and love for you and the girls is boundless," L said.

  
        "Do you really mean it?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Yes," L said.

  
        "Yay! You're such a sweetie! Thank you Ryuzaki!" Misa kissed his cheek. "I see why Kohaku loves you so much. Now let's all be friends. Is that okay with you, Ryuzaki?"

  
        "Yes." He placed one of his fingers to his mouth. "So now I've gained yet another friend," he said thoughtfully.

  
        "Yeah, of course. Any friend of Light and Sakae's and any boyfriend of Kohaku's is a friend of mine. And of course, I would never think of betraying any of my friends. With our powers combined, we'll arrest Kira!" Misa cheered.

  
        "Unfortunately, Light and Sakae are taking a different investigative approach from us. He'll be working with his father and the others. I'm afraid it would just be you, Kohaku and I," L said.

  
        "Huh?! What's up with that?!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "C'mon L, now you are just playing dirty. You're leaving me with no other choice but to join your…" Light said.

  
        "No, that's quite all right," L said.

  
        "What are you talking about? Of course he'll be joining us. Sakae too," Misa said.

  
        "That's not it, either! I've been opposed to this investigation since the beginning! It's too dangerous for her!" Light yelled at L.

  
        "...I actually think she can probably pull this off," Sakae said.

  
        "Now, you're agreeing to this mess?!" Light sighed and shook his head. "Great…"

  
        "Thank you for worrying about me but please let me do this. I want to be useful to you guys somehow and besides, I would gladly die if it were for you guys," Misa said.

  
        "Can we please stop talking about death?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "Sorry," Misa apologize.

  
        "Thanks…" Kohaku yawned once again. L moved closer to Kohaku. Kohaku moved back a little. "Nu," she said. "No more human contact. Too tired." L laughed and moved closer again, but more quickly this time so he could pull her into a hug. "Nuu... Human contact... Ugh..." L laughed at Kohaku more.

  
        "You are so cute when you are tired," L stated.

  
        "I know..." Kohaku buried her face in L's neck. "Mine."

  
        L smiled. "Mhm."

  
        "L, if Kohaku were Kira, what would you do?" Light asked, curiously.

  
        L pulled out of his hug with Kohaku and looked at Light. "If she had been Kira the whole time?" Light nodded. "Hmm... I'm not sure what I would do if that were the case. I don't believe Kohaku would be capable of killing so many people. Yes, she would kill someone in self defense or to protect one of you, but she would never be like Kira." L looked back at Kohaku and smiled again. "I love you."

  
        Kohaku smiled back sleepily. "I love you too."

  
        "They are such a great couple. Completely perfect for each other," Misa whispered to Light and Sakae.

  
        "Mhm." Sakae smiled. "I am so happy for them. Aren't you, Light?"

  
        "I guess they are kinda perfect for each other," Light mumbled, staring at L and Kohaku. "Yeah. I am happy for them."

  
        "You two are cute too, by the way," Misa said, smiling at Sakae and Light. Sakae and Light blushed. Light hesitantly pulled Sakae into a hug and kissed her head. Sakae smiled a little bit.


	23. Sneaky Misa

        It's another day. Light, L, Kohaku, Aiber, and Misa are in Misa's room. Misa and Aiber are acting out what they are going to say in front of the Yotsuba men. Sakae and Ryuichi were elsewhere, possibly at their own home or out and about doing things. Everyone else was probably doing what everyone else does.

  
        "All right. Let's try again from the top," L said through a director cone. Kohaku smiled a little at how seriously L was taking this, going so far as to use a director cone.

  
        "Tell me, Misa, is it true you once said that you came to Tokyo in order to meet Kira?" Aiber asked Misa.

  
        "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Misa exclaimed, going a bit over the top with her acting.

  
        L hit her in the head with his director cone lightly before moving the cone to his lips. "Misa, please stop overacting. It looks too cheesy, not to mention fake." Kohaku snickered.

  
        Misa turned around on the couch to face L, Kohaku, and Light. She spoke to L with a pouty face. "Huh? But I thought that was a realistic performance."

  
        "Just do it again," L said, in a slightly annoyed tone of voice through the director cone before lowering it from his lips.

  
        Misa waved her hands around. "Whatever you say, oh so great director."

  
        "If you don't get serious about this, I'll kick you," L stated blankly with still a slight hint of annoyance in his tone. Kohaku started laughing a lot.

  
        "Hmph," Misa grunted out, still pouting.

  
        Kohaku continued to laugh. "You better…You better get serious or else Ryuzaki will kick you since that is apparently all he can threaten you with."

  
        "How was what he said funny?" Light asked her.

  
        "It wasn't exactly what he said that was funny but it was how he said it. Who knew the great Ryuzaki could get annoyed so easily." Kohaku started smiling and continued to laugh a little.

  
        L hit her on the head lightly with the director cone, grinning a little. "We all need to take this seriously."

  
        Kohaku smiled still. "Since when did I start taking anything completely serious?"

  
        "We should get back to them acting out what they are going to say," Light commented.

  
        Sakae walked in. "Hey, what's going on?" she asked.

  
        "Misa's overacting to lines," Kohaku stated. "At this rate, when the real deal happens, she is gonna screw up."

  
        Sakae laughed a little bit as she walked over to them. "No idea how to fix that situation," she commented, looking over at Misa.

  
        "Unless you have knowledge in acting," Light commented, "there isn't much someone could do."

  
        "I think Misa should try to look uneasy and sound a bit nervous. Like this." Kohaku cleared her voice as she sat beside Misa. She lightly clenched the jeans she was wearing and looked at Aiber. She spoke in a tone that sounded a tad nervous and she even looked a bit uneasy. "Ah... what? Who did you hear that from...?"

  
        Sakae smiled a little. "Good job, Kohaku. Still, you have to feel the role; put yourself in the character's shoes. Maybe harder than it sounds," she said.

  
        "We are going to be in here all day," Kohaku stated. "That's gonna be super fun!" she cheered fakely.

  
        "Well, if someone can try working harder," Light said while looking over at Misa, "we should be able to be out of here soon."

  
        "Hey, don't blame me!" Misa pouted.

  
        "Start taking this seriously then," Kohaku said, poking Misa's cheek.

  
        "You aren't taking this seriously either," Misa pointed out.

  
        "I'm not the one who has to appear in front of Yotsuba dudes," Kohaku stated.

  
        "It's either save your life or put yourself in danger, which one?" Sakae asked as she mimicked a balance with her hands. "We don't have all the time in the world, Misa."

  
        "Okay. Sorry," Misa stated.

  
        "Let's get back to work," L said. Everyone nodded.

* * *

        Misa was inside Mogi's car. It was very...awkward. The date is October the 24th.

  
        "Ah, Misa-Misa?" Moga asked.

  
        "You're not smiling enough, Mochi, and you can just call me Misa, you know," Misa said.

  
        " _I'm not cut out for this but it's part of my job, so_ …" Mogi took a deep breath. He was soon smiling and acting very cheerful. "Misa-Misa!"

  
        Misa was taken by surprise a little bit. "Wow, what is it, Mochi?!"

  
        "Today, you have an interview with the Yotsuba Group to see if they'll use you in their new ad campaign but remember this is also an infiltration mission, so stay sharp!" Mogi exclaimed.

  
        "Don't you worry. I already know about that and of course that means you can't let your cover fall, either. You're gonna play the character of the hyper-energetic manager, okay?" Misa smiled.

  
        "Right! Bring it on! Hooah!" Mogi exclaimed as he drove the car up to the Yotsuba building.

* * *

        Mogi continued to be cheerful in the head office as Misa headed into the interview room with Ooi and Shimura. The rest of the Yotsuba men, plus Aiber, were in the room. Misa sat down in the chair placed before all of the men.

  
        "Now then, I don't believe you and I have met before, have we, Misa? My name is John Wallace, an executive adviser for the advertising department. Nice to meet you," Aiber said.

  
        "Thank you! I'm very pleased to meet you, too!" Misa exclaimed cheerfully.

  
        "Well, this might seem a little bit sudden, but I'd like to be honest with you. We've been talking about it and we've pretty much decided to hire you already, but before we make it official, I'd like to clarify a few things," Aiber said.

  
        "Yes," Misa said.

  
        "We've been doing a little background check on you and according to our sources, a burglar killed your parents during a robbery. You worship Kira because he killed the suspect. Isn't it true that you came to Tokyo in hopes of finding and meeting Kira?" Aiber asked.

  
        "Ah… what? Who did you hear that from...?" Misa asked with quiet tone. She looked uneasy and sounded a tad nervous.

  
        "I'm afraid I can't answer that. The information is liable and now I'd say it's confirmed. The look in your face tells me that these are the facts," Aiber stated.

  
        " _Huh. Coil, I never thought you'd investigated that far_ ," Ooi thought.

  
        "Also, you're still hiding something from us, aren't you?Something you prefer the world not to know," Aber said, looking at papers in front of him.

  
        " _Okay, here's where I pose and look nervous_ ," Misa thought as she began to look nervous as planned.

  
        "It seems you were detained by the detective L for a short period of time. We'd like you to tell us the full story of what really happened. It would be a problem if the new face of Yotsuba turned out to be Kira," Aiber said.

  
        "Yes. We would appreciate to it if you are honest with us," Ooi commented.

  
        "All right. I understand. I'll tell you everything. Yes, I was held for questioning. I didn't think it was L, but he did ask me lots of questions about Kira, but I'm not the second Kira and I never was. I was released because he realized that I didn't have anything to do with Kira, after all," Misa said.

  
        "Did you manage to see who it was that was restraining you?" Ooi asked.

  
        "No, I was blindfolded all time," Misa stated.

  
        "But if he asked you questions. Surely, you heard his voice, right?" Midou questioned.

  
        "Only through a speaker and voice filter, so..." Misa said.

  
        "Come on, what the hell is this anyway? A job interview or police interrogation? How long are we gonna keep this up? I'm going to the bathroom." Higuchi stood up and walked out of the room.

  
        "He has a point. It seems the interview veered a little off track. We are very sorry," Ooi said

  
        "Excuse me, but would you mind if I went to the bathroom as well?" Misa asked.

* * *

        At the facility, L was sitting in his chair in his usual squatting position and he was staring at the computer in front of him, looking through things. Light stood behind him, not too far behind him since they are cuffed to each other, and he was looking at Sakae and Kohaku who were also standing behind L and beside/in front of Light.

  
        "I hope Misa can pull off her acting this time," Kohaku commented randomly, stretching.

  
        "I guess we will have to see," Sakae commented while sighing.

  
        "I'd hate to see what is going to happen if she can't," Light said.

  
        "Eh, she shall be fine." Kohaku poked Sakae and Light. "So, how is the relationship going?"

  
        "Wah?!" Sakae stared at her, shocked slightly.

  
        Light put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. "I would say that it is going very well."

  
        "Cute," Kohaku said, smiling a little.

  
        "How is your love going then, Kohaku?" Sakae asked.

  
        "It is going wonderfully." Kohaku looked towards where L was sitting. She leaned over and messed with L's hair since they all happened to be standing right behind L's chair. "Right, L?" He nodded and Kohaku noticed some blush in his cheeks, causing her to smile more.

  
        Sakae laughed a little. "Aww, you two are good together," she commented.

  
        "Thanks." Kohaku looked back at her two friends. "Also, I expect ya'll to get to the next level of your relationship in...at least 5 to 10 years," Kohaku stated, rubbing the back of her head laughing a bit. "And have little kids running around, stressing you two out. That would be so adorable."

  
        "Yea, it would!" Sakae smiled to herself. "That would be...awesome."

  
        "I guess it would be." Light said to himself, smiling.

* * *

        Misa was inside a restroom at the Yotsuba building. She was staring into the mirror, talking to herself. "Oh, this is getting exhausting. But… everything's going well so far. I just have to keep it up."

  
        Rem, unseen by Misa, approached her from behind and places a tiny piece of a page from the Death Note against Misa's hand. Misa gasped as Rem appeared behind her. She was about to scream when Rem covered her mouth.

  
        "Hmmmm!" Misa's scream was muffled by Rem's hand.

  
        " _Being touched by this scrap of paper alone will not restore her memories of the Death Note, but at least now Misa can see me once again_ ," Rem thought. She wanted to keep Misa from harm.

  
        " _Oh, what is this thing?! Some kind of monster?!_ " Misa thought.

  
        "Misa, you're in a dangerous situation right now. There are people within Yotsuba who can easily have you killed. I've come here to warn you. Calm down and listen to me," Rem said in a calm tone to try to get Misa to calm down a bit.

  
        " _Calm down?! How can I?! This thing looks like it's gonna kill me!_ " Misa thought.

  
        "Please believe me. I'm your ally," Rem said.

  
        " _My ally?"_  Misa thought, still not relaxing just yet.

* * *

        At the facility and inside the large surveillance room, Matsuda was standing around, worrying about Misa. Light and L were looking at information on the computers before them and Mr. Yagami was doing the same nearby. Kohaku was just pacing back and forth, staring at her floor while biting her thumb nail. Sakae was sitting on the couch, looking at her phone and texting her brother, who was currently not there due to being at work and was coming back soon enough. She sighed and placed her phone onto her lap. Sakae rarely left the facility unless it was to go to her college classes (which wasn't too often because of being under too much stress) or to go out to eat with her brother to get away from the Kira nonsense for a while. She looked at Kohaku, who was still pacing, and thought about what will happen once Kira was caught.

  
        " _When this is over, Light and I will be able to be a somewhat normal couple. Kohaku will...probably go wherever L goes. Things will be very different than they once were…"_ Sakae thought.

  
        "I wonder if Misa-Misa's all right. Maybe we should have wired her or used something to track her movements," Matsuda said.

  
        "With you worrying about her so much, I believe you, my friend, have a huge crush on her or something," Kohaku said, pausing her pacing to look at Matsuda.

  
        Matsuda blushed a little. "I wouldn't say I had a huge crush on Misa-Misa…"

  
        Kohaku smiled. "But you have a crush. That is really cute. Maybe once everything is over, you could date her. Age is but a number, after all."

  
        "Yea! I'd think it would be cute if you two got together," Sakae commented.

  
        Light stared at the computer before him, thinking. " _Just as I thought. The Kira before I was detained and the one it surfaced afterwards, they must be two different people. The aim all clearly doesn't match. This Kira is killing criminals as soon as they've had their crime broadcast on TV, regardless of the situation. He's punishing people who never intended to kill, those who sincerely regretted their crimes, or people with excusable circumstances. The original Kira would have never punished those kinds of people. That's the sort of distinction I'd make if were him. The way the original Kira acted is disturbingly close to my ideals.… Huh!"_ Light leaned back in his chair. " _What the hell am I thinking? I'm not Kira. Something's gotta be wrong with me if I'm seriously comparing myself to that murderer_."

  
        "Light, are you okay?"

  
        Light turned to see Sakae looking down at him with a confused expression. "I-I'm fine," he said.

  
        "Hmm…" Sakae bent down a little bit to examine his face. "You seem worried about something."

  
        "Just looking at some details about the case," Light told her.

  
        Sakae cocked her head slightly. "Oh, you have something on your cheek."

  
        "Huh? Where?" Light reached his hand up to touch his cheek.

  
        "Right there." Sakae kissed his cheek then smiled. "Gotcha," she teased.

  
        Light laughed a little bit. "Seems like it, don't it?"

  
        Sakae gave him a small hug. "Why, yes; yes it does," she said with a smile.

* * *

        Back in the Yotsuba building and inside the washroom, Rem still had Misa's mouth covered up. Misa hadn't calmed down just yet.

  
        "Light Yagami is Kira," Rem revealed to Misa. "Tell me, what is Light doing at the moment?"

  
        "Mmmm…" Misa patted on Rem's hand that remained on her mouth. How could she tell her if she couldn't speak? Rem soon released her hand from Misa. Misa dropped onto her knees on the floor. She looked at Rem. "What are you? I mean I can tell you're not a stalker...but you don't look like a human at all."

  
        "No, of course not. I am a Shinigami. Before you were captured by L, you and I worked closely together," Rem revealed.

  
        "What are you talking about? I don't understand. You know me? And Light is Kira?" Misa questioned.

  
        "The Death Note. It grants its owner the power to kill someone simply by writing that person's name in it. Light Yagami took it upon himself to punish criminals using that notebook. He soon became known to the world as Kira. You also possessed that same power. In fact, your ability was even greater than his. You managed to find Light by using your power to determine that he was in fact Kira," Rem told her, leaving out that Kohaku and Sakae had also been a part of everything.

  
        "Light is Kira and I'm the second Kira?" Misa questioned.

  
        "That's right or rather, that used to be the case. Light arranged it so you would both lose this power. This was all according to his plan," Rem said.

  
        " _He did? Then Ryuzaki was right!_ " Misa thought.

  
        "Misa, do you still love Light enough to die for him?" Rem asked.

  
        "Unbelievable. You got to be telling the truth. You already know everything about me. I totally believe you now. And, yes, I do love him to death...but as a friend because he is with Sakae and I don't want to ruin their relationship, even if I do kind of hate seeing them together...also, Kohaku said that I need to listen to my heart and my heart is telling me that I am not in love with Light but with the mere thought of being with him. It's amazing that Light and I were both Kira, of course I wanna believe something like that. I only wish I could remember it," Misa said.

  
        "You haven't changed, Misa. It seems your feelings for Light have changed a bit from loving him as more than a friend to loving him only as a friend, but it's enough to convince me that the only way you can be truly happy in life is if you can support him in his plan," Rem said.

  
        "Thank you, Shinigami," Misa said. Even though she didn't truly love Light, she would help him with anything.

  
        "It's Rem. The current Kira is a violent pathetic human being. I don't know what he's capable of. Be careful and beware the others from Yotsuba. Trust Light. Let him do whatever he feels necessary," Rem said.

  
        "Okay, I got it. I guess I should just act normally in the meantime though, right?" Misa asked.

  
        "That's right. When you go back to the interview, you will be able to see for yourself who the real Kira is. Be on your guard and do not trust him," Rem stated. "Listen, when you return, I will be in the room. The man sitting in front of me will be Kira."

  
        Soon, Misa headed back to the interview room. Rem had already gone into it and stood behind Higuchi, the current Kira. Misa opened the door to the interview room.

  
        "Oh my gosh, I'm so took so long.I was just fixing up my makeup a little." Misa headed to the chair she had sat in earlier. She sat down and stared at the men. She spotted Rem in front of Higuchi. " _Higuchi is Kira?! That bastard!"_

* * *

        Back at the facility and inside the large surveillance room, Matsuda had sat down in the chair to L's left. L and Light were still sitting in the same spot they had been earlier. Mr. Yagami wasn't in the room. Kohaku had moved a chair so she was sitting to L's right and she was sitting in between Light and him, her chair on top of their long chain; she also happened to be sitting normally in the chair. Sakae was sitting in Light's lap instead of sitting on the couch. Ryuichi, who had returned shortly beforehand, was glaring at Light, but Light ignored him and wrapped his arms around Sakae, kissing her cheek.

  
        "Misa-Misa sure is late…" Matsuda said.

  
        "Stop worrying," Kohaku commented, spinning her chair around in circles. "She'll be back soon. Probably."

  
        The elevator doors opened. Mogi and Misa walked out of it.

  
        "Oh, they're back!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        Kohaku stopped spinning her chair and was facing towards them. She watched Misa walk towards her and the others. "Welcome back."

  
        "Hey!" Misa cheered. She then huffed. "Oh, I'm exhausted." She sat in Kohaku's lap.

  
        "Eh…?!" Kohaku blinked and blushed a bit. This action was just plain odd. "W-Why...are you…?" She blinked a couple more times before shrugging. "Okay then. My lap welcomes you with open arms, apparently."

  
        Sakae laughed. "Hey! No fair! I wanna sit in your lap too!"

  
        "You have Light's lap to keep company," Kohaku stated, smiling a little. "Also, it's not like I wanted her to sit on me."

  
        "Why don't you push her off, then?" Light asked, smiling a little and laughing a bit.

  
        "That would be rude," Kohaku told him, sticking her tongue out.

  
        "How did it go?" L asked, ignoring that Misa was in his girlfriend's lap.

  
        "Yotsuba agreed to hire Misa on as their spokesperson for the new ad campaign," Mogi told him.

  
        "That's good to hear," L stated.

  
        "And I made sure to give them my cell phone number." Misa pulled out her phone. "Would you believe three out of the seven guys already massaged me asking for a private date."

  
        "What?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "Uh, Misa, I wouldn't be so happy about that…" Kohaku said, frowning.

  
        "Uh oh…" Sakae muttered slightly.

  
        Misa continued speaking. "So now I accept their invitations and then investigate them, right? Oh, it's going exactly as I planned."

  
        "No. The plan's getting canceled right now," Light commented.

  
        Misa looked at him. Light still had his arms around Sakae who was still on his lap. "Huh? But why? Everything's been going so smoothly up until now."

  
        "If we go any further, you'll be in danger. You can still appear in their commercials, but from now on, you should deny that you were suspected of being the second Kira and thus detained by L. Mogi will continue being your bodyguard, but you'll be working solely as a celebrity," Light said.

  
        "I agree with Light; you'll be in danger if this shit goes any further," Kohaku said, pushing Misa off her lap lightly and making Misa stand.

  
        "Agreed," Sakae commented.

  
        " _Things are getting unpredictable right now. Great,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        "If that's what you want then that's what I'll do," Misa said, sighing.

  
        "Hm," L hummed, looking at her.

  
        "Well, I'm feeling pretty tired. Tomorrow shoot is bright and early, so I better get some sleep." Misa headed to the elevator. " _Thank you, Light...Sakae...Kohaku. You guys are so sweet to be worried about me...but I've thought of the best plan ever. I'm gonna be useful to you, Light. I promise_." She entered the elevator and headed to her floor.

  
        Sakae sighed. "Why does life have to be so complicated?"

  
        "Life has always and will always be complicated," Kohaku stated. She sat in a chair by L, sitting in her curled up position after turning the chair so she would be facing Sakae and Light.

  
        "I guess as they say, there is always two sides. One side is complicated while the others are calm," Sakae stated. "Two sides to everything."

  
        "Hmm...never thought of it that way," Light commented.

  
        "There are a ton of things you haven't thought of," Kohaku commented, yawning.

  
        "The same goes for you, just as everyone. Well, maybe not everyone," Light said.

  
        "I know that, you idiot." Kohaku threw one of L's sweets at Light.

  
        "Hey, don't throw things at me!" Light yelled at her, playfully.

  
        Sakae laughed. "Okay, kids, no fighting."

  
        Kohaku laughed as well. "We aren't kids. We are just...very immature people."

  
        "Don't say we aren't kids, because we are technically kids no matter what age," Sakae stated.

  
        "Whatever," Kohaku said, sticking her tongue out at Sakae. Sakae laughed and shook her head.

* * *

        It's October 25th. Misa had finished a scene for the movie she was in and asked Mogi if she could use the restroom at the hospital. Inside the restroom, Misa switched outfits with her friend, Nori, before sneaking out of the hospital and calling Higuchi.

  
        Soon, Higuchi arrived in his car, driving up before stopping beside where Misa stood.

  
        Misa leaned down a bit and spoke to Higuchi who had the window of the passenger's side rolled down. "What an amazing car!"

  
        "If you like it, I'll give you a ride anytime or buy you one of your own. By the way, loving that nurse's outfit, Misa," Higuchi said.

  
        Misa got into the car. "I'm glad you like it." She giggled. Soon enough, Higuchi was driving around with Misa while back at the hospital, Mogi learned that Misa snuck off.

  
        As Higuchi drove, Misa stared at him from the corner of her eye. " _Kyosuke Higuchi. This sleazy pervert, he's been sending me text messages ever since that party. He's been even more persistent than any of the other guys. If he's Kira, it can't get any worse than that_."

  
        "Hey Misa, how about we grab a bite to eat," Higuchi suggested.

  
        "Are you planning to take me somewhere and do pervy things to me?" Misa questioned him. "Well, even if you were, that's okay. I'll be fine since I can kill people." She looked out the passenger window.

  
        Rem was sitting at the back of the car, observing them. " _What are you saying, Misa? Is this part of Light Yagami's plan? Is this what he wants you to do? Or is this your way of telling me that you want me to kill Higuchi the moment he tries to do anything_?"

  
        Higuchi chuckled. "C'mon, you're just kidding with me, aren't you, Misa? You can kill people?"

  
        "Yep! It's true and do you know why? Because I'm the second Kira," Misa said.

  
        " _Huh? That can't be. Even if she was the second Kira before, there's no way she still is. She's not supposed to have any memory of it, either. What the hell is going on?_ " Higuchi thought. He forced out a laugh. "Hahaha, Misa, you don't have to make up stuff like that to feel safe with me. I'm sure you'll find that I'm quite a gentleman."

  
        "Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I'll only prove that I'm the second Kira to the real Kira," Misa stated.

  
        "You'll only show proof to Kira? Why?" Higuchi asked.

  
        "I'd show him because it's always been my dream to become Kira's wife. I know he'll need me by his side once I tell him," Misa stated. She was, of course, lying to try and get him to reveal everything.

  
        " _If she really is the second Kira, then it's pretty clear from the Sakura TV incident that she has the Shinigami eyes. If that's the case, I need to make sure I keep this girl by my side at all costs. I've gotta test her first_ ," Higuchi thought. "Ha ha ha! Well, since I happened to be Kira, does that mean you'll marry me?"

  
        There was an awkward silence and then Misa exclaimed, "Really?!", while staring at Higuchi with wide eyes.

  
        "Yeah. I mean it," Higuchi said, sounding a little nervous.

  
        "What?! Then prove it to me! C'mon, let's prove it to each other!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "I can't do that. It would be a pretty bad idea to let someone witness how I kill people," Higuchi stated.

  
        "You think so? I don't know. If I thought someone was Kira, I think I'd be willing to show them. We'd never get anywhere if I didn't," Misa said.

  
        "Ha! Then why don't you kill someone? After all, I could be the real Kira," Higuchi said.

  
        "All right, but I'll only kill bad people, okay?" Misa stared at him.

  
        "That's right. Bad person, huh?" Higuchi pulled the car over and pulled out his laptop. A piece of a man was on the screen after Higuchi clicked on several files. "This is Ginzo Kaneboshi, president of a major finance company. He's infamous for his immoral collection method, sometimes he even makes people pay with their insurance money. How about him?"

  
        "Would you be able to confirm his death right away?" Misa asked.

  
        "Yeah, as soon as I call him," Higuchi stated.

  
        "Okay, then. Could you turn around for just a sec?" Misa asked. Higuchi looked out his window and Misa started to write, even though it wasn't going to work...for her.

  
        Rem watched her. " _Misa, you want me to kill Ginzo Kaneboshi, don't you? Then Higuchi will believe your claim about being the second Kira. Very well."_ Rem wrote down the man's name in her Death Note.

  
        After 30 seconds went by, Misa looked at Higuchi. "All right. He should be dead by now."

  
        Higuchi pulled out his phone and called a number. He spoke as soon as someone answered. "Hello, this is Higuchi from Yotsuba."

  
        "Sorry, our president just collapsed and stopped breathing! Call back later!" the secretary exclaimed quickly before hanging up. Higuchi looked at Misa.

  
        "Told ya!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        " _She killed him! The same guy I chose just a minute ago! It would have been impossible to do that unless she had the power! This proves it!_ " Suddenly, Misa's seat was leaning back and Higuchi was out of his seat and on top of her. "So if I'm Kira, you'll marry me, right?!"

  
        "Well, hey, why are you getting so serious all of a sudden?" Misa questioned.

  
        "Because I'm Kira," Higuchi said.

  
        "Then prove it," Misa said.

  
        "I'm not gonna be able to kill until I get home. You understand?" Higuchi stared at her.

  
        "Oh, well, that's no good then." Misa pushed Higuchi off of her and sat up. "For all I know, you're just making all this up and you have an excuse to take me to your place. Wait! I know. What if you stop killing the criminals on TV?! That should prove it! If you are Kira, it should be no problem. You can start killing again when I tell you to. If all the times and deaths match up, then I'll believe you. After all, killing criminals in that way is something that only Kira can do."

  
        "I see what you mean. That's a good idea. All right, Misa," Higuchi said.

* * *

        At the facility, Misa was standing in front of everyone (Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, Mogi, L, Light, Kohaku, Sakae, and Ryuichi) in the large surveillance room with her phone out, playing what she recorded in Higuchi's car. The only person sitting down as L.

  
        "I'm Kira. So in order to make you trust me, I'll prove that I'm him. I'll stop killing criminals for the time being. Then once you are fully convinced I'm a real thing, you and I get married," Higuchi's voice said on the record message on Misa's phone.

  
        "And so, based on what he said, Higuchi is Kira!" Misa put her phone away.

  
        Matsuda smiled. "Now we not only know Kira's identity but all those deaths that were worrying the chief are gonna stop! That's amazing, Misa-Misa!" Misa did the peace sign at him all cutely and smiled.

  
        L dropped a sugar cube into his coffee before drinking some of it. " _If the killing of criminals stops now, then there is no doubt that Higuchi is the one with Kira's powers. However, I knew Amane would do almost anything for Light, Kohaku, and Sakae, but to think that she would actually go this far? If criminals do stop dying after this, it will make it difficult to determine the critical element: how Kira conducts his murders. I have to think of a plan_ ," he thought.

  
        "Misa, how did you get Higuchi to confess?" Light asked.

  
        "She probably seduced him," Kohaku commented.

  
        "It was easy. That guy's totally in love with me. All I had to do was tell him I'd marry him if he was really Kira. Plus I managed to convince him that I am the second Kira," Misa stated. " _If I didn't say this now, I'd probably end up contradicting my story later_."

  
        "What the hell were you thinking?" Kohaku asked. "He could've, like, raped you or something. Maybe even kidnapped you."

  
        " _Holy…"_ Sakae thought to herself.

  
        "Misa! You idiot! Didn't I tell you to deny all that?!" Light exclaimed. Watari entered the room with a cart of sweets and stuff, pushing it over to L.

  
        "Light, don't call her an idiot," Sakae said, gripping Light's arm. "She was trying to help, even though it was extremely dangerous for her to do that."

  
        "Yeah. Now we know Higuchi is Kira, right? So what's the problem? Can't we just catch him?" Misa questioned.

  
        L grabbed some of the sweets from the cart and placed them on the counter in front of him. Watari walked away. "I suppose this is what you would call a victory, right, Matsuda?" L questioned.

  
        "But right now, we still don't know exactly how he kills his victims, do we?" Light asked.

  
        "Yes, that's what I was thinking. Before we move to arrest Higuchi, I want to find out how he kills people," L said.

  
        " _That would be helpful,"_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        "After criminals stop dying, we will be able to figure it out, unless we come up with another idea. Isn't that right?" Light asked.

  
        "Yes. At any rate, even if we do arrest Higuchi, we're not going to do it until we are certain that criminals have stopped dying. Let me think about this for a moment," L said. He clicked on one of the buttons of the keyboard in front of him. "Wedy." A W insignia appeared on the screen of the computer.

  
        "Yeah," Wedy answered.

  
        "An update on the current situation, please," L demanded.

  
        "Everything's going smoothly. We should be able to track 70% of their movements using our cameras inside the office building," Wedy stated.

  
        "What about outside the office?" L asked.

  
        "That's not gonna be possible with just Watari and me," Wedy stated.

  
        "What if you focus only on Higuchi?" L asked.

  
        " _I'm sure Wedy can handle that, right?"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "Higuchi? I've only been able to enter the houses of five of the men so far. But Midou, Namikawa and Higuchi, all have super high-tech security systems, especially Higuchi. He recently constructed a dampening room that shuts out any electronic waves. It took me two days just to break into the place," Wedy stated.

  
        "This guy sure does sound suspicious," Matsuda commented.

  
        "Very much so," Sakae agreed.

  
        "Gotta wonder why he would need something like that," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Hm," Mr. Yagami hummed.

  
        "All right. Then begin installing microphones, trackers, and cameras, but not in the house. Instead just put them in every car." L started munching on his sweets.

  
        "What?! After getting this far?!" Wedy exclaimed. "Do you know how difficult it is to break into someone's house?! Besides, do you have any idea of how many cars this guy has?"

  
        "He only has six," L said as he swallowed down another sweet.

  
        "That's a lot of cars for one person," Kohaku commented, biting her thumb.

  
        "Common for someone who just loves to spend money," Sakae commented.

  
        "Mmm." Kohaku continued to bite her thumb.

  
        "Fine then. I just have to install them in all his cars, right?" Wedy asked.

  
        "Yes, thank you," L said.

  
        " _Oh, if Higuchi had been bugged earlier, I would have been in big trouble_ ," Misa thought.

  
        "Light, I'm sorry to keep coming back to this topic, I'll just get right to the point," L said.

  
        "What is it?" Light asked.

  
        "Do you remember killing anyone, I mean?" L asked.

  
        "Huh?! Are you still going on about that?! Look, I'm not Kira! How many times do I-" Light was interrupted.

  
        "I just want you to answer the question. Well, do you remember?" L questioned.

  
        "No, I don't," Light stated.

  
        "Misa, what about you?" L asked.

  
        "I don't remember. How could I?! Cause I'm not Kira!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "Lastly, Kohaku and Sakae, I'm sorry to ask this but how about you two? Do you remember killing anyone or helping kill anyone?" L asked them.

  
        "I don't remember anything like that ever happening," Kohaku stated, scratching the back of her head. " _Although, I do feel like I am missing important memories. Could I have been involved with Kira?"_

  
        "Honestly, I don't remember something like that," Sakae said before thinking to herself. " _But what is this empty feeling inside my head?"_

  
        "Hm, look Light, please listen to what I'm about to say. I'd like you to thoroughly analyze my current theory. This could determine the way in which we'd end up catching Kira. Light Yagami used to be Kira. Kira's power has somehow passed onto another person. Light Yagami now has no memory of ever being Kira. I need your analysis based on these assumptions. Do you think you can do that for me?" L asked.

  
        "...Yeah, I'll give it a try," Light answered hesitantly.

  
        "Light Yagami used to be Kira. Kira's power has somehow passed onto another person and it resulted in the memory loss of the girls (Kohaku and Sakae) as well as Light. Was that because Light Yagami wanted it to happen or was there someone else in control of Light, lurking in the background, who gave him the power and took the memories of the girls? Was it that person who passed Light's power to someone else?" L looked at Light.

  
        Light was quiet for a moment. "...Given your premise, it would be my will."

  
        "Yes, of course." L looked away from him. "If there is a third party with the ability to bestow or transfer Kira's power and they didn't want their method to be discovered, it makes no sense that they would wait so long to transfer it from you to the next Kira. If we believed that this was the work of some being watching us from above, then we'd have to accept that they are impossible to catch. Not to mention, I'd already be dead. Or at the very least, I'm being made to be a fool by eternally dancing in the palm of someone's hand. It's highly unlikely that such a being exists," L said. He ate another sweet. " _Even if Light Yagami was Kira_ …" L looked back at Light. "Kira's power can only be transferred by the will of the person who possesses it. Thank you, Light. I can now say that I feel 99% better."

  
        Watari walked out of the elevator and carried a tray of sweets over to L. He took L's cup and the cart he brought in earlier out of the room.

  
        "We'll create a situation where Higuchi will not be able to pass on his power to anyone else. We'll have him show us how he kills," L said.

  
        "So, what are you gonna do?" Light asked.

  
        "I'm going to trick Higuchi using Sakura TV," L said.

  
        "That's a really good idea," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Quite," Sakae commented.

  
        "Like a hidden camera show!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "What?" Misa questioned, confused a bit.

  
        "We'll use the Kira Special that Demegawa airs every week. We'll book a three-hour time 'll be announced that Kira's identity will be revealed near the end of the special," L explained.

  
        "Would anyone actually buy that, though? This is Sakura TV, after all. For all we know, Higuchi may not even watch that program," Matsuda said.

  
        "We'll get Namikawa to call him and say 'This is on your TV.' That should be enough to get him watching. Higuchi will buy it once he realizes that the special guest on TV is someone who knows his secret," Light stated.

  
        "Perhaps," Sakae commented, not really paying any mind.

  
        "Oh, I get it! So we'll be using Aiber then. He will reveal that he was a spy all along!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "Stop assuming things, Matsuda." Kohaku crossed her arms. "I already have in mind who's going to be that special guest."

  
        L nodded. "We will not be using Aiber. Whoever appears on the show has to be someone who Higuchi believes he'll be able to kill. In other words, it has to be someone whose name he can look up easily."

  
        "But we're never gonna find a person like that, are we?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        Kohaku facepalmed. "Matsuda… you are too stupid for your own good."

  
        "Huh?" he wondered.

  
        Light looked at Matsuda. "You are the only one who can do it."

  
        "Matsu!" Misa cheered.

  
        "Yea...yea, that could work," Sakae commented.

  
        "Matsuda,"Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Perfect guy for the job, I presume," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Higuchi probably thinks that you were listening in on their meeting and overheard their plans to kill people. It would make sense that Misa's manager who he thought was dead is the one revealing the secret," Light said.

  
        "Mhm," Sakae said.

  
        "That's right. We'll have Sakura TV use a voice-filter and a frosted glass to protect your identity. Higuchi would probably realize from the announcement and the silhouette that it's the manager, Taro Matsui, and just to make sure, we will have the studio messed up to accidentally reveal your face from behind the frosted glass," L stated.

  
        "Whoa! Sounds exciting!" Misa cheered.

  
        Kohaku half-smiled. "Misa, maybe you should give Matsuda a good-luck kiss." Matsuda blushed a little and Misa giggled at him.

  
        "I might just do that," Misa stated. Matsuda blushed more.

  
        "Ooh!" Sakae teased.

  
        "Until the show ends, the announcer will keep saying they will reveal the full name of H who's acting as Kira," L said.

  
        "Higuchi would feel cornered. He'd have no choice but to find out the manager's name as soon as possible. We can anticipate what actions he'll take," Light said.

  
        "We'll witness his killing method. After that, we'll arrest him and there is one potential problem with this plan. If Higuchi can kill by simply looking at someone's face just like the second Kira, Matsuda will die," L stated.

  
        "Ah!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "But, considering the fact that you are still alive and how he's pursuing Misa, I doubt that's the case," Light stated.

  
        "Yeah, but uh, don't mention that shit again though," Kohaku said to L. "I had a mini panic attack just then." She leaning against Sakae.

  
        Sakae laughed a little. "You were worried for Matsuda, weren't you?"

  
        "A little bit. Still kind of am." Kohaku looked at Matsuda. "Don't worry, Matsuda. You'll live. Probably."

  
        "Thanks…" Matsuda mumbled.

  
        "At any rate, we're only going to do this once criminals stop dying. We'll have to wait for two or three days to see whether or not that happens. In the meantime, Matsuda will have to decide if he wants to go through with this plan," L said.

  
        "I don't need two or three days to decide. I want to do this," Matsuda said.

  
        "Great. Misa, give him your good luck kiss," Kohaku commented. Misa smiled and went over to Matsuda. Matsuda's face became bright red when Misa gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. It wasn't a kiss on the lips but it still got an adorable reaction from Matsuda. "Awww~" Kohaku cooed.

  
        "Misa and Matsuda will make a lovely couple," Sakae stated, smiling at Misa and Matsuda.

  
        "Hmm, that's a possibility," Misa stated, smiling. She held Matsuda's hand.

  
        Matsuda continued to blush. "Uh… Well, even if we become a couple, we...um… We'd never be as great of a couple as Kohaku and Ryuzaki."

  
        Kohaku blushed a little and she moved to stand behind L, wrapping her arms around his neck. "My intelligent little monkey~" L grinned a little and placed his hands onto of Kohaku's.

  
        Light pouted a bit. "What about me and Sakae? We're a great couple too, right?"

  
        "You're a cute couple," Misa stated. "But Ryuzaki and Kohaku are the perfect couple, Light. They have had more moments of cuteness than you and Sakae have."

  
        Light pouted more. "So?"

  
        Sakae hugged him. "Don't worry about it, 'kay?"

  
        Light kisses her forehead. "Okay."

        Soon, they were all planning to put the 'Kira' special plan into action.


	24. The Kira "Special"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In first scene, Namikawa is with two of his...friends, I guess, while Kohaku, Misa, L, Sakae, and Light are at the facility. Namikawa can only hear Light via a disguised voice. The girls and L can hear the conversation because...cameras are in the room Namikawa is in, I guess. Yep. :P

        It's October 28th. Light called Namikawa while he (Namikawa) was with Shimura and Midou. Light pretended to be L once again. Kohaku, Misa and Sakae were in the room with Light and L as this happened. Everyone else was...somewhere else.

  
        Light spoke to Namikawa via the phone. His voice was once again disguised. "It's L. Before I go on, are you by yourself?"

  
        "No," Namikawa said.

  
        "Then just act like it's a normal call again," Light said.

  
        "I don't think there's any need for that. One of the people here with me was just expressing his suspicions about your last phone call," Namikawa stated. Shimura asked him who he was speaking to and he answered truthfully before speaking to Light again. "L, Midou and Shimura are here as well. I'm reasonably certain that neither of them are Kira. In fact, they seem fed up with it at this point. I'll speak for them and say they'll choose to stand back and watch your face-off with Kira, like I plan to."

  
        Light looked at L. They were all able to hear what he said. L glanced at Light. "That's fine."

  
        Kohaku crossed her arms. " _Hm."_

  
        Light went back to talking to Namikawa. "Tonight, I'm gonna catch Kira, but I'll need a favor from you."

  
        "Hm. Then, it's the end of Higuchi," Namikawa commented.

  
        "What? You know that it's him?" Light questioned. Kohaku face-palmed and Sakae looked at her.

  
        "Hm?" Sakae wondered.

  
        "Namikawa got him to reveal it," Kohaku whispered to her.

  
        "Oh. He's a smart one then," Sakae said.

  
        Namikawa was pleased. "Ha! So even the great L can be tricked. Based on your reaction, I'm now a hundred percent certain that Higuchi is Kira."

  
        "Namikawa is pretty smart, huh, but then, I always thought he was from looking at his face. I guess this proves it," Misa commented.

  
        "No. That was just because Light messed up," L commented.

  
        Kohaku snickered. "Yeah."

  
        Sakae laughed a little bit. "Yes, indeed. Very easily tricked he was."

  
        "I'm bating Higuchi with the Stage TV Special Tonight, Sakura TV. A few minutes into the program, I want you to contact Higuchi, tell him to tune in. Do that for me and I won't go after you or any of the other five. As for the others; Kida, Takahashi and Ooi, if they tried to do anything, make sure to stop them," Light told Namikawa while he glared playfully at Sakae and Kohaku.

  
        "Alright, I understand," Namikawa said. He hung up.

  
        Kohaku half-smiled. "This...bullshit might finally be over soon."

  
        "Yeah..." Sakae said softly. Kohaku looked at her for a moment, bite her lip, and pulled Sakae away from Light, L, and Misa so the two of them could chat a bit.

  
        "Are you okay?" Kohaku asked her.

  
        "Yeah. I'm still worrying about what'll happen after Kira is caught," Sakae admitted without hesitation.

  
        "Ah. Yeah. Me too." Kohaku paused for a moment. "Life will turn out okay for all of us when this is over. Promise." She smiled.

  
        Sakae smiled back. "Promise that Kira won't cause the death of any of us before this is over?"

  
        "Well... we can't be certain that he won't kill someone..." Kohaku started but she noticed the sad and worried look Sakae suddenly had on her face. "...Yeah. I promise. None of us will be killed. We'll survive to live another day."

  
        Sakae grinned a tiny bit and hugged Kohaku. "Thanks..."

  
        "You're welcome," Kohaku replied with a soft tone.

* * *

        Higuchi is at his home, sitting in his living room. He was laughing maniacally.

  
        "Ha ha ha! It's been about three days since I stopped killing should be good enough, shouldn't it? Now, when I marry Misa Amane, the second Kira, I'll have the Shinigami eyes. With that power in my hands, Yotsuba will be under my control. Ha ha ha ha ha!"

  
        His cell-phone started to ring and he answered it.

  
        "Higuchi, we've got a problem. Turn on a television. Check out Sakura TV," Namikawa said.

  
        "Hm?" Higuchi grabbed his remote and turned on the tv. It was already on Sakura TV. Two screens were covering Matsuda and the MC so Higuchi can only see their shadows.

  
        The MC on TV was speaking. "So you are saying one of those people is Kira, right?"

  
        "Yes. I've got a lot of evidence to prove it, too," Matsuda said. His voice was disguised.

  
        "What the hell is this? C'mon, it's probably a hoax. This is Sakura TV," Higuchi said to Namikawa on the phone.

  
        "No, it's more than that. At the beginning of the show, he said that he overheard a meeting between eight people," Namikawa stated.

  
        " _What? Someone who knows about the meetings? Who is it, did someone betray us?"_ Higuchi thought.

  
        "Then, one of them was killed by Kira and now there are only seven left. The man who died was Mr. H," Matsuda said.

  
        " _Mr. H? Hatori! If he knows this much, he could be one of the other six. No, maybe it's Coil,"_ Higuchi thought.

  
        "Mr. H wanted to leave the meetings and was killed by Kira because of that," Matsuda said.

  
        " _No, it can't be any of the others. There is no benefit for them to do this but no one else knows about the meetings, do they? Damn it! Who is it? What, wait, could it be…"_ Higuchi watched as the screen concealing Matsuda's identity fell down. "It's...it's him! It's Misa's manager. Matsui, that's his name. Why is he still alive?!"

  
        "He explained earlier that he thought he was going to be killed. He pretended to fall out of the apartment window and escaped to a balcony of a few floors below," Namikawa explained.

  
        " _But that can't be! Just to be careful, I went home that night and wrote his name in that notebook like it was written on his business card. Why is he still alive then?! Could he be a former entertainer who became a manager using a stage name?! Is that possible?!"_ Higuchi thought.

  
        Namikawa continued to speak. "After that worked that enough, he said that he continued to investigate Yotsuba up until now and he's figured out which one of us is Kira. I'm contacting everyone right now to let them know."

  
        "Alright. We'll talk later." Higuchi hug up. He looked at the TV to see that the glass screen was covering Matsuda again.

  
        "Oh, sir, we are terribly sorry for that accident. Are you alright? We can stop if you want," the MC said.

  
        Matsuda's voice was both modified and not modified (you can hear his real voice along with the modified one). "No. I knew I was gonna be in danger going into this. This is for a sake of justice. So, I'll see through till the end even if it means my death."

  
        " _I have to kill him! Calm down. Misa knows his face. She is the second Kira, she should know what his real name is,_ " Higuchi thought. He dialed Misa's number. Misa hung up the call. "Oh, what the hell?!" Higuchi exclaimed. He looked back at the TV.

  
        " _To be honest, I have been debating for a long time whether or not I should make this announcement, but now that I'm here I know I've done the right thing in coming forward_ ," Matsuda stated.

  
        "This is bad. Who knows when they make the announcement," Higuchi said to himself. He called Midou as a quick commercial appeared on the TV. "Midou, it's me. Are you watching Sakura TV? Why don't you call your father at the House of Councilors? Have him pull some strings at the Ministry of Internal Affairs to stop this broadcast!"

  
        "I'm watching but I don't think we could stop it," Midou stated. "No one believes this program so we'd only make ourselves look suspicious if we stop it. Besides, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. The guy revealed his face earlier. Everyone knows it's really Taro Matsui. Namikawa's already gone ahead and told everyone to watch the show. Since one of us seven has to be Kira, that should mean Taro Matsui will soon be dead, right?"

  
        " _Of course I'm the only one who knows or even suspects that Taro Matsu isn't his real name. That means if I say anything, it'll reveal the fact that I'm Kira,"_ Higuchi thought. He then spoke out loud. "Yeah, that's true. I'll talk to you later." He hung up. "Damn it!" He dialed another number.

* * *

        At the facility, Sakae, Misa, and Kohaku are standing behind L and Light who were sitting in their chairs. Watari's insignia appeared on the large computer screen.

  
        "Ryuzaki, Mogi is in position in front of Yoshida productions. He just received a call from Higuchi," Watari informed L.

  
        "Yes, it's time for phase 2. Everything's as planned," L stated.

  
        A different thing appeared on the screen. There was an H and M insignia. They were listening in to Mogi and Higuchi's conversation.

  
        "Where is Misa?!" Higuchi exclaimed.

  
        "Oh, Mr. Higuchi! Pleasure to hear from you. I'm sorry but Misa-misa's taking a much needed vacation right now. She should be back by all tomorrow morning, though. You can reach her then!" Mogi exclaimed cheerfully.

  
        "I'm asking you where she is now!" Higuchi exclaimed.

  
        "Well, that's private information. She's requested that no one know where she is. I'm very sorry. I'll have her contact you tomorrow first thing," Mogi said.

  
        "Do you know if Misa's former manager was an entertainer at some point?" Higuchi asked him desperately.

  
        "Come again?" Mogi questioned.

  
        "I'm talking about Taro Matsui!" Higuchi exclaimed.

  
        "Oh! I was only recently hired so I don't know much about him. If you need some information, I can let you talk to someone from the office. I just remembered, everyone's in Okinawa at the moment! You can try calling the president, though," Mogi said.

  
        That conversation ended.

  
        "This is going exactly as I planned. It's almost scary," Light commented.

  
        "You shouldn't be scared by it. You should be happy," L commented.

  
        "How is this scary?" Kohaku questioned. "It's exciting for me."

  
        "Everything is on par right now. Let's hope it stays that way," Sakae said.

  
        "I'm patching you into Higuchi's call with the president of Yoshida productions," Watari informed them.

  
        "This is Higuchi from Yotsuba. That manager's real name isn't Taro Matsui, is it?" Higuchi asked the president of Yoshida Productions.

  
        "He's not even pretending to hide what he's asking about now is?" Misa questioned. "Stupid Higuchi."

  
        "Maybe he's acting like that. It proves he's beginning to panic," L commented.

  
        They continued to listen in to the conversation.

  
        "I think he was just a manager," the Yoshiba president (Y.P) said.

  
        "Then what was his real name?!" Higuchi demanded.

  
        "I think it was Yamada, no, wait, Yamashita. And his first name was, eh, I'm sorry, I can't remember," the Y.P said.

  
        "Don't screw with me! Why the hell can't you remember the names of the people you hire?!" Higuchi yelled.

  
        "All right. No need for that kind of language. I've got his personnel file back the office," the Y.P. stated.

  
        "Then go back there and get it!" Higuchi exclaimed.

  
        "You gotta be kidding me. Give me a break. We're on a first company vacation in two years! If you wanna know that badly, I'll give you the pin code for the office lock. You can go in yourself and look it up. How's that? The personnel files are in the desk at the back to left. You'll find the files in the bottom drawer. They should all be sorted alphabetically, but I'm pretty sure it was Yamashita," the Y.P. stated.

  
        That conversation was then over.

  
        "So, what's he gonna do?" Misa asked.

  
        "Guess we'll have to wait and see," Kohaku stated, crossing her arms.

  
        "I see Higuchi. He's only carrying a single bag. I'm in pursuit," Wedy informed everyone via communication device.

  
        "Everything's still going according to plan," Light stated, staring at the screen that showed Wedy's tracking signal following Higuchi's tracking signal (in other words, Wedy was indeed following Higuchi).

  
        "Yes," L commented.

  
        "Let's hope all of this shit will be over soon," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Y-Yeah," Sakae said.

  
        A commercial starring Misa appeared on the screen not to long later. L was peeling a banana apart with his teeth.

  
        "Ryuzaki, the commercial is almost over," Light stated.

  
        "Oh, is that so?" L questioned.

  
        Kohaku giggled and then yawned. "I am so tired."

  
        "If you need to take a break and rest, go ahead," L said, looking at her. "I don't want you passing out."

  
        "I'll be okay," she assured him. He just gave her a look that told her that he wasn't convinced and shook his head before looking back at the screen.

  
        "Next thing you know, I'm in a hotel and drinking with all eight of them," Matsuda said on the TV once the Kira "Special" was back on.

  
        "Oh, well, that's rather amusing," the MC stated.

  
        "But if I give you any more details, I'm afraid that people who were there that night would realize which one of them is Kira. So I think I'd better leave it at that for now," Matsuda said.

  
        "Of course. Please take your time to tell us all the details of your ordeal to find Kira," the MC said.

  
        "Hm. Light, please put Higuchi's car on audio channel 1 and Sakura TV on channel 2," L instructed Light to do.

  
        Light did exactly that. "As expected, Higuchi's watching every minute of this from his car."

  
        "Mhm," Sakae hummed.

  
        Matsuda continued to speak to the MC on one of the screens while the larger screen showed Higuchi in his car. Kohaku zoned out for a moment as she watched, thinking about the possibilities of the plan failing.

  
        " _If this fails somehow, Matsuda might die and...Kira will still be on the loose. I don't like this plan very much but it's all we could come up with to stop him,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        The sound of Higuchi's voice made her come out of her thoughts. "Rem, what do you think?"

  
        Kohaku blinked. "Rem?" She tilted her head in slight confusion. "Um… Who the hell is Rem?"

  
        "He's by himself…" Sakae crossed her arms and stared at the screen. " _Maybe he is...losing his mind? No, he is definitely talking to...something. Hmm..."_

  
        Light was wondering who Rem was as well. "Rem... Who's that? There is no one else in that car, right? It's impossible for someone to be hiding without us knowing. He isn't using his cell phone. Could it be a hidden radio?"

  
        "No, there aren't any radios or other devices. Only the bugs, cameras, and tracking beacons that Wedy placed. I have no doubt that she did a thorough job," L said.

  
        "Do you think I'll get to Yoshida productions only to find his file isn't there?" Higuchi asked Rem, the being that L, Light, Sakae, and Kohaku could not see but Misa could.

  
        "Is he talking to himself?" Light questioned.

  
        "Uh...I guess?" Kohaku shrugged, completely unsure. This was very confusing. " _Who in the fuck is he talking to?"_

  
        L, Light, Sakae, Misa, and Kohaku stared at the screen. Higuchi was silent for a moment before he spoke again.

  
        "If this guy was smart, he would destroy everything that connects with his real name before he appeared on TV," Higuchi stated out loud. "And don't you think it's a little too reckless for Yoshida productions to just let me into their offices and supervise? Oh, maybe not. If there was a robbery, they'd figure it out right away who did it since I know where the key is."

  
        "This isn't sounding very good," Misa commented.

  
        "He'll still go there. Don't you worry," L said. Kohaku moved forward a few tiny steps so she was standing right behind L's chair and she placed her hands on his shoulders. He tilted his head upwards to look at her. She smiled and kissed his forehead. He tilted his head back down and stared at the screen as Kohaku laid her head on his, wrapping her arms around his neck. He smiled a tiny bit to himself.

  
        "Even if he does have a file at Yoshida, it could be just another alias." Higuchi growled. "Damn it! I wouldn't put it past this guy to do something like that. No wonder he's confident." He glanced at the screen in his car that was displaying Sakura TV's program.

  
        "Alright. There is only one hour left until the big announcement," the MC stated.

  
        "Your only option is to go. If the name on his file is false, that'll be unfortunate, but if it isn't, you can kill him discreetly with the notebook," Rem told Higuchi. No one could hear her...other than Misa and Higuchi, though Misa was pretending she didn't hear anything other than Higuchi like her friends so she wouldn't reveal the return of her memories.

  
        "Yeah, I already know that much myself, but just to be on the safe side, I should also kill the people I contacted at that Yoshida productions. That includes the president, Misa, and that manager of hers," Higuchi said. "Maybe even that strange friend Misa has."

  
        "What?! No way. He's gonna kill me?!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "And apparently me too," Kohaku stated, sighing into L's hair that her face was practically buried in.

  
        "It's alright. Don't worry. He's talking about doing that after he's killed Matsuda. There'll be no point in killing the rest of you until he's gotten rid of the main threat," L said. He placed one of his hands on one of Kohaku's, which were still around his neck, and held it.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku hummed.

  
        "That's true, but still." Light crossed his arms and stared at the screen more.

  
        Sakae was getting worried. " _I hope we stop him before he kills anyone!"_

  
        Rem spoke to Higuchi again. "Don't be reckless. He's the only one you have to kill. If the people you called end up dying too, the phone records would implicate you and their deaths."

  
        "Oh, yeah," Higuchi said. "Rem, I didn't think you were so smart. Then I'll make them all erase their call histories before they die."

  
        "But the telephone company will still have a record of the calls," Rem informed Higuchi.

  
        Light got out of his seat. "There is no way he can just be talking to himself! But, who's Rem?! Who is he talking to?!"

  
        "If he is talking with someone right now, it could be… a Shinigami," L said.

  
        "Mm." Misa had a worried look on her face that no one noticed.

  
        "Perhaps." L took a bite out of the banana he had. Kohaku giggled at him.

  
        "Well, anything is possible so there could be a Shinigami with him," Sakae said.

  
        "I completely agree with you there, Sakae," Kohaku commented.

  
        "You two believe in everything," Light commented, rolling his eyes.

  
        "No. We believe in the fact that anything is possible. We never said we believed things that could be possible actually exist despite never being seen," Sakae said.

  
        Light looked at her. "It was implied."

  
        "How so?" Sakae asked him, smiling a bit.

  
        "Uh... It just was," Light stated with slight hesitation.

  
        Sakae laughed a bit. "Uh huh. Sure." She kissed his cheek, causing him to blush.

  
        "How about giving up ownership of the notebook and returning it to me?" Rem asked Higuchi.

  
        "No. I'd end up being ruined if I did that. Even if I forgot the notebook, this guy says he has concrete evidence to back him up. If he points out Yotsuba's recent growth on the air, no one would ever doubt his claims. They'd believe whatever he said. That means whoever he says is Kira will be marked as Kira! Even if he didn't have proof then and I got rid of the evidence by returning the notebook, my life would be over. I wouldn't get promoted. I wouldn't even be able to stay with Yotsuba," Higuchi said.

  
        "Of course Sakura TV has broadcast the show under the premise that right now, as we speak, Kira is watching this program," the MC said on the screen in Higuchi's car. L, Light, and the girls would hear the broadcast still themselves.

  
        "In that case, I'll take this chance to call out to him." Matsuda turned so that, despite the glass covering his appearance again, he was facing that glass like he was looking at the camera. "Kira! Please, turn yourself in!"

  
        Higuchi soon arrived that Yoshida productions. He got out of his car.

  
        "He has arrived at the Yoshida productions," Light commented, stating the obvious but perhaps was communicating with their friends (Mogi and Aiber) that happened to be hiding inside that building, waiting to grab Higuchi when it was time.

  
        "The show is about to begin," L commented.

  
        "Let's hope we see how he kills someone... Thought, I also hope he doesn't actually kill someone," Sakae said, getting extremely nervous.

  
        The inside of Higuchi's car was no longer seen on the large screen in the facility's main surveillance room. Instead, the inside of Yoshida productions was seen. It was showing exactly where Higuchi was and what he was doing. He was looking through the bottom drawer of the back desk. He pulled out a file.

  
        "Now Kira, how do you kill? Show me," L said to himself.

  
        "We are in position and ready to take him now. We'll move on your command," Mogi whispered in his communication device, speaking to L.

  
        "Right," L responded back to him quietly.

  
        Light, Misa, L, Sakae, and Kohaku watched as Higuchi pulled out a black notebook, the Death Note, and opened it. He then wrote down Matsuda's false name and closed it. He placed the notebook back in his case he took with him and put the file back in the drawer. He then walked out of the room.

  
        "Huh?" Kohaku blinked in confusion.

  
        "He...made a note?" Sakae questioned.

  
        "He's not doing it! He just made a note of his name before leaving. So, he's no gonna kill him here?" Light was confused as well.

  
        "Ryuzaki, do you wanna us to apprehend him?" Moga quietly asked L over the communication device he had.

  
        "Negative. We still don't know how he kills. Perhaps he's planning to do something once he's back in the car." L stopped talking to Mogi and spoke slightly louder, having been talking in a quiet tone when he spoke to Mogi. "Let's see camera 1, again."

  
        The inside of Higuchi's car was shown on the large screen in the facility's main surveillance room. Higuchi just sat in his car, watching the Sakura TV program.

  
        "Huh, it's weird. You'd think he'd be desperate to kill Matsuda this very second, but he's calm," Light commented.

  
        "Yeah. Something's up," Sakae commented.

  
        "It is strange. If all he needed was the name, then he should've simply taken the personnel file with him, but he just put it back in the drawer after taking the note," L said.

  
        "Hm..." Kohaku stared at the screen closely. "Are we missing something...?"

  
        40 seconds went by. "Kira is a cold-blooded murderer. I can't forgive him for what he's done," Matsuda said on the screen in Higuchi's car.

  
        Sakae and Kohaku both jumped when Higuchi suddenly let out an outburst of fury. "Ah! Damn! He didn't die!"

  
        "Holy... Wow." Sakae placed her hand on her chest. "That startled me."

  
        "That startled you?! It startled me more since I was paying the closest attention to it." Kohaku had her own hand on her chest as well. "Jeez... Holy shit..."

  
        "He said 'he didn't die'," Light said, wondering what just happened.

  
        " _Did he already try to kill Matsuda? Was writing his name down all he had to do or was it...?"_ L thought.

  
        "What'll we do now? Should we just continue watching what he's doing? What if he caused a death by just imagining it?" Light questioned.

  
        " _I don't understand what's going on. I still can't figure out how he kills people,"_ L thought.

  
        "Only 15 minutes to go until the big Kira announcement!" the MC exclaimed.

  
        "Ah! I don't have any time!" Higuchi pulled out his phone and tried calling someone.

  
        "He's making a phone call," Light commented.

  
        "It's probably Misa again," L stated.

  
        Misa's phone rang and she looked at it. "Yap!" She ignored the call.

  
        Higuchi got angry and he tossed his phone to the back of the car. He thought for a moment before speaking. "Rem, let's make the deal."

  
        "The deal? Who is this Rem person he keeps talking to? Could it really be that Kira's power comes from another world or some being?" Light questioned.

  
        "I really don't wanna think that's the case," L commented.

  
        "Then, what is this Rem?" Light questioned.

  
        "A Shinigami? Whatever it is, we need to keep watching him. We'll learn nothing if we take him now. We may still be able to find out how he kills," L stated.

  
        The girls stayed quiet, watching the screen and wondering what the hell was going to happen next. As Higuchi was driving, he was pulled over by a cop. With his new Shinigami eyes, Higuchi was able to see the cop's name and wrote it down before driving away. The cop followed only to have a heart attack not too long later, dying as he crashed. Mogi informed L, Light, and the girls of this.

  
        "He's dead?! By accident?!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "What the hell?!" Kohaku exclaimed. "But...how?!"

  
        "This is very bad," L said blankly. " _All he did was put his hand in his bag. Could he've done something at that moment More importantly, how was he able to obtain the name of the cop who stopped him? Does he only need a face like the second Kira?"_

  
        "Rem, a deal..." Light mumbled to himself.

  
        "Wait...could he..." Sakae mumbled to herself.

  
        "The second Kira's power!" Kohaku exclaimed.

  
        L immediately informed everyone else via the communication device. "EVERYONE! It's too dangerous to allow further action by Higuchi ! Let's bring him in! I believe he has the same power as the second Kira. He is able to kill just by looking at someone's face. Please keep this in mind when you move in to arrest him!" L then spoke to Watari. "Watari, connect me to the director of the NPA."

  
        "Yes," Watari commented.

  
        L gave the director of the NPA a message. "This is L. We are now aware of Kira's true identity. He's currently heading from Hibiya to Shibuya along highway route 1 in a red sports car. Our group will be handling the arrest in a meantime. Please instruct all officers to refrain from approaching his car."

  
        Light communicated with his father. "Alright, Dad, during the next commercial, take measure 7."

  
        "Understood," Mr. Yagami told him.

* * *

        At the Sakura TV studio, Mr. Yagami informed Demegawa of what was needed to be done.

  
        "Demegawa, during the next commercial breaks, swap Matsuda and the MC with mannequin. We'll make it seem as if the broadcast is continuing as normal using the voices we've already prepared. We'll leave the cameras running and have everyone evacuate the building," Mr Yagami said.

  
        Ryuichi had a mannequin in his arms. " _Why the hell did I have to get stuck doing this...?_ "

* * *

        Back at the facility, L stood up from his chair. "So then, Light. Let's say we go enjoy the fun as well?"

  
        Light nodded as he looked at L. "Yeah."

  
        "Hm?" Misa questioned. She was placed into a chair and L chained her to it. "What are you doing?!"

  
        "I'm sorry to do this, Misa, but I'm going have to make sure you are restrained for a while," L stated.

  
        "What?! But that's- Stop joking around!" Misa exclaimed.

  
        "And exactly what are we going to do?" Sakae questioned. "Babysit her?"

  
        "We can all fit into the helicopter. I'm sure," Kohaku said. " _Might be crowded though."_

* * *

        Inside the helicopter, L was piloting the helicopter and Light was in the seat beside him. Sakae and Kohaku were sitting behind him along with Watari, though Sakae had to sit on Kohaku's lap since there wasn't much room. Watari was getting a sniper rifle out.

  
        "Don't get too comfortable," Kohaku told Sakae.

  
        Sakae smiled. "This is fun!"

  
        Light looked back at the girls and smiled a bit at them before he looked at L. "I didn't realize you could pilot a helicopter. That's incredible."

  
        "Well, you can figure it out by intuition," L said.

  
        Light looked that the route on the screen in there that was tracking where Higuchi was going. "Hm? Higuchi isn't going to Sakura TV. He's headed the wrong way."

  
        "Based on his route, I'd guess he's going to the Yotsuba main office," L said.

  
        "Well, that is just lovely," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Come in Wedy," L said into the communication device he had on. "Have you removed absolutely everything relating to Matsuda at the Yotsuba headquarters?"

  
        "Yeah. Why? Is he headed there now? Huh, isn't that convenient. That should give me more than enough time to go ahead and meet up with Mr. Yagami and Ryuichi to set up the ambush," Wedy said to L. She was on her motorcycle, heading to Sakura TV.

  
        "I guess this is where the fun begins, huh?" Sakae questioned.

  
        "I thought it already began," Kohaku said. "The moment we got into this death trap."

  
        Sakae laughed. "Not a fan of helicopters?"

  
        "Not a fan of any possible ways to die," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Maybe you have an anxiety problem," Sakae said.

  
        "...Maybe." Kohaku patted Sakae's head. "Now, shut up."

* * *

        Higuchi couldn't find any footage of Matsuda at the Yotsuba head office and he headed right to Sakura TV. Inside the studio of Sakura TV, Mr. Yagami and Ryuichi were hiding with Wedy. The recorded voices of Matsuda and the MC were playing.

  
        "Is there anything more you'd like to add before the announcement?" the MC's voice asked.

  
        "Well, I want everyone to think hard about Kira after he's caught. People have to realize that Kira..." Matsuda's voice went on and on.

  
        "Are you two ready? It's almost time," Wedy told them.

  
        "I know," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        Ryuichi had a gun in his hand. He stared at it for a few moments before answering Wedy. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be..." He didn't like guns but he was going to use one since it meant that they would catch Kira and end the madness.

  
        "Here." Wedy handed Mr. Yagami a gun...or at least tried to. "Aiber hates using guns. Right now, Ryu and I are the only ones armed. Take it."

  
        " _It's not like I want to have this gun in my hand..."_ Ryuichi thought.

  
        "I can't take this. I'm no longer a police officer. Japanese law forbids civilians from having guns. That means you shouldn't be using one, either," Mr. Yagami said. "Neither of you should have one, actually."

  
        "I guess you're stubborn as always, huh?" Wedy questioned him, only to get no answer.

  
        Higuchi soon arrived at the studio and looked around. He didn't spot the dummies until it was too late. Ryuichi, Mr. Yagami, and Wedy got out of their hiding places with helmets on their head. Wedy and Ryuichi had their guns pointed at him. Mogi and Aiber came into the room quickly and they were all surrounding Higuchi.

  
        "Higuchi! Hold it right there!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed.

  
        "Don't move! I'd give up if I were you," Wedy said.

  
        Higuchi tried to play it off as a mishap. "You, you must be making some kind of mistake. I'm only here to meet with Mr. Demegawa and discuss something with him." He took note of their helmets. " _They're wearing tinted helmets. They must be taking precautions against Kira. In that case…_ " He was sweating. He reached into his case. "I'm with the Yotsuba group from the development department. Let me show you my business card." He immediately pulled out a gun and pointed it at Wedy. "Ha!" He shot.

  
        As he shot, Mr. Yagami moved to protect Wedy and took the shot to his arm. Everyone was surprised and they accidentally gave Higuchi a moment to get by them and he headed towards the exit.

  
        "Damn it!" Ryuichi shot at Higuchi but Higuchi went through the door.

  
        "Aiber!" Wedy tossed Aiber her gun.

  
        Aiber and Ryuichi both ran towards the door Higuchi went through and they shot at him, only to miss and for him to escape Sakura TV.

  
        Mogi informed L. "L, Higuchi has a gun on him. The chief's been shot! Higuchi is escaping!"

  
        "I'm all right," Mr. Yagami said, holding his arm wound. "Sorry, Ryuzaki. If we pursue him right now, we can still catch him. Hurry!"

* * *

        Inside the helicopter, Sakae was shaking in Kohaku's lap. Kohaku wrapped her arms around her.

  
        "Shh. Mr. Yagami will be okay. I promise," she whispered into Sakae's ear. Sakae nodded shortly but said nothing as a few tears threatened to go down her face.

  
        "This is bad. He's escaping from Sakura TV," Light said.

  
        "We know that, Light!" Kohaku exclaimed.

  
        "This leaves us no choice. We'll have to move in and apprehend him. Watari, are you ready?" L questioned.

  
        "Yes," Watari said.

  
        "Light, I think you should hold onto this for self-defense." L held a gun out towards Light. "This is Kira we are after."

  
        "No, thanks. Firearms aren't allowed in Japan," Light stated.

  
        "You know, I'm sure your father would say the exact same thing," L said.

  
        "Light is definitely Mr. Yagami's son," Kohaku said, slightly teasing.

  
        Light smiled a little. "Hm."

  
        Soon, there were at the current location of Higuchi. Mogi and Aiber were in one car while Mr. Yagami, Wedy, and Ryuichi were in another car. They were chasing after Higuchi. A load of cop cars were in the middle of the highway, preventing Higuchi from getting by. He turned his car, only for L to lower the helicopter close enough to the ground to try and keep him from getting by. Higuchi still tried getting by but Watari shot out one of the tires, causing Higuchi to crash into the concreted side of the highway they were on.

  
        Higuchi was completely cornered so he put his gun to his head. "Stay back! Stay back or I'll shoot, I swear!"

  
        Watari shot the gun out of Higuchi's hand as L landed the helicopter. The girls cheered as that happened.

  
        "That was fucking badass, Watari!" Kohaku cheered.

  
        "It's over now! Right!?" Sakae was smiling a little.

  
        Light nodded. "It's over."

  
        "Yes, it's over," L commented.

  
        Higuchi sat in his car, completely defeated...and holding his hand as he laid his head against part of the steering wheel.

  
        Was it truly over...or was a plan made in the past about to be revealed?


	25. Memories Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light gets his memory back. However, so do Kohaku and Sakae! OoO

        The cop cars were surrounding Higuchi's car. The person who had gotten all the cops there in the first place was Aizawa. L, Light, Sakae, Kohaku, and Watari remained in the helicopter as Mr. Yagami and Aizawa began to exit their cars.

  
        "Ryuzaki, please let me go and make the arrest," Mr. Yagami said into his communication device.

  
        "I'd like to come with you, chief, if that's all right," Aizawa said.

  
        "I understand," L said into his own communication device (headset). "But remember this is Kira. Be sure to take every precaution when you approach him and don't allow him to see your face. Watari, if Higuchi tries anything or makes any sudden moves…"

  
        "Understood. I will shoot to stop him; not to kill," Watari stated.

  
        "And he'll still look like a badass doing it," Kohaku commented.

  
        "Most likely," Sakae commented.

  
        Mr. Yagami went over to Aizawa's car. He had a helmet on his head. "Aizawa, do you have a helmet or something to hide your face with?"

  
        Aizawa nodded. "I do."

  
        "Good. Then cover me," Mr. Yagami said.

  
        "Yes, sir! You can count on me, Chief," Aizawa responded.

  
        Soon, quite a lot of people were out of the cars and surrounding Higuchi's car, pointing a gun towards it. Ryuichi was chilling in the car he had been in, seeing no need to be a part of what was happening. There were more than enough people there now.

  
        "Higuchi! Put your hands above your head and get out of the car," Mr. Yagami commanded. Higuchi did exactly that and was blindfolded as well had his hands cuffed behind his back. "We've apprehended him."

  
        "Mogi, I want you to put a headset onto him as planned," Light said into his communication device, a.k.a. his own headset he was wearing.

  
        "Roger." Mogi placed a headset on Higuchi.

  
        "Higuchi, how are you able to kill people? Tell me!" L demanded. Higuchi grunted. "If you are not going to talk, I'll use whatever means necessary to get it out of you."

  
        "...The notebook," Higuchi said after hesitating a bit.

  
        "Notebook?" L questioned.

  
        "You probably won't believe me but I've got a special notebook. If I write someone's name in it while thinking of their face, that person dies," Higuchi revealed.

  
        " _A notebook…"_ L thought. "Mr. Yagami," he said into his headset.

  
        Mr. Yagami was looking in Higuchi's car, looking into his case. He pulled out the Death Note. "Yeah, I found it. It was in one of the compartments of Higuchi's bag." He opened it up. "He has written a lot of names in it but there doesn't seem to be anything else unusual about it." He noticed something at the corner of his eye and looked towards Rem, seeing her. He yelled and fell to the ground, landing on his ass. He stared at Rem in surprise and horror.

  
        "What is it, Mr. Yagami?" L questioned him through the headset.

  
        "It's a monster!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed.

  
        "Please calm down. Don't panic. Remember, you're not currently armed to defend yourself," L said.

  
        Mr. Yagami had been reaching into his coat pocket for a gun he didn't have. "Oh, oh, all right, of course."

  
        Mogi crouched down beside Mr. Yagami. "Chief, hang in there. Are you alright?"

  
        Ryuichi jogged over to them; he had gotten out of the car. "Is everything okay, Mr. Yagami? You look a little pale."

  
        "Can't you see that thing over there?!" Mr. Yagami exclaimed, pointing towards Rem. So far, only he could see her since Higuchi was blindfolded.

  
        "What thing?" Ryuichi looked over to where Mr. Yagami was pointing. "I don't see anything over there."

  
        "Chief, I think you must be getting tired," Mogi said. He and Ryuichi both reached for the Death Note and took ahold of it.

  
        Ryuichi let go of it since he figured Mogi could just carry it. "Well-" He turned and saw what Mr. Yagami was pointing at. "What. The. HELL?!" He yelled in surprise.

  
        Mogi turned as well and fell to his ass like Mr. Yagami did while screaming in horror and surprise.

  
        "Mogi, Ryuichi, what's wrong?" Light asked them via the headset, even though Ryuichi wouldn't really hear him since he didn't have on a headset like everyone else did apparently.

  
        Mr. Yagami answered. "It, that thing, it seems only people who have touched the notebook can...can see this...this monster!"

  
        "What the hell is going on?" Kohaku wondered.

  
        "Guess we'll find out," Sakae commented.

  
        "Please bring the notebook over to the helicopter," L commanded for someone to do.

  
        "Oh, eh, okay." Mogi picked the Death Note back up and he headed over to the helicopter. "Here is, Ryuzaki."

  
        L took hold of the notebook. "Hm." He looked over to where Rem stood. "It really is…a Shinigami. They really…do exist." He began to think to himself.

  
        "Ryuzaki, come on, let me see!" Light exclaimed, taking the notebook from L without him even realizing it.

  
        " _Two books! There have to be two notebooks! Possibly more! This isn't over yet."_ L noticed that the Death Note was no longer in his hands and he looked over at Light. Sakae and Kohaku looked towards Light as well.

  
        All at once, memories of being Kira came back to Light as he held the Death Note. Once the rush of the memories ended, he panted a bit.

  
        "Ah, are you okay, Light? I suppose seeing that monster would surprise anyone," L said, showing some concern.

  
        "Yeah, are you okay?" Kohaku asked Light. " _I wish I could see the monster but, uh, I don't think I really want to at the moment_."

  
        Sakae leaned over and placed her hand on Light's shoulder. "Light, is everything okay?"

  
        "Ryuzaki," Light said.

  
        "What is it?" L asked.

  
        Light started typing on the laptop that happened to be in the helicopter with them. "I wanna check this out. I'm gonna try comparing the names written in this notebook with the names of the victims."

  
        "Hm? Oh, right. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." L looked at Light, a bit suspicious.

  
        "Um…" Sakae moved her hand off of Light's shoulder. "I'll just let you work on that...then." She moved back to sitting on Kohaku's lap. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

  
        "You okay?" Kohaku asked her in a whisper.

  
        "I..I don't know. Something feels off," Sakae replied quietly. "Light no longer...feels the same."

  
        Kohaku was a bit confused. "What...do you mean?" she whispered.

  
        "I can't really say but his aura just feels different...like it went from a kind person to a dangerous being," Sakae said, still speaking quietly.

  
        "...It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it," Kohaku whispered.

  
        "O-Okay," Sakae agreed.

  
        " _I've won. Exactly as planned_ ," Light thought. " _Though, I hadn't expected the girls to lose their memories. I'll have to look in on that. It helps me out. I don't need them being involved in this as much as they once were. I'll have to keep the Death Note away from them somehow to avoid them getting their memory back...if it even comes back."_ Light recalls having Ryuk and Rem switch up the Death Note ownerships and such.

  
        He recalls what Rem had told him: "If you don't have full ownership, your memories will only return for as long as you're in contact with the notebook. As soon as you let go of it, your memories will disappear again."

  
        Light had a firm grip on the Death Note. " _That means I've gotta kill Higuchi without letting go of this notebook. If I managed to do that, ownership would transfer back to me and my memories won't disappear. Huh."_ Light started to mess with his watch. " _I just have to pull this 4 times in less than a second."_ A secret slot opened up. Inside was a piece of the Death Note. " _Got it. Just as I expected. I'm wearing this watch. Old habits die hard."_ He picked up a small needle and pricked his finger, causing it to bleed a little. He wrote down Higuchi's name using his blood.

  
        "Mr. Yagami, please take Higuchi to the car," L said into his headset device.

  
        "Ah, right, of course," Mr. Yagami replied. He, Ryuichi, and Mogi started moving Higuchi to a car.

  
        "You know, about this notebook, I wonder what we would find if we put it through for one scientific analysis," Light said.

  
        "That doesn't sound like you, Light. We both know this thing's beyond science," L stated.

  
        "Ha, yeah, you're right. Hm." Light acted as if he was looking through the Death Note.

  
        "...Uh, sure you are alright?" Kohaku asked Light.

  
        "I'm fine," Light said. " _This has gotta be the longest 40 seconds of my life."_

  
        Finally, 40 seconds had gone by and Higuchi began to suffer from a heart attack.

  
        "Ryuzaki, Higuchi is-" Mr. Yagami started saying.

  
        "What the hell?! What's happening?!" Light yelled. He knew exactly what was happening but he had to act as if he didn't. Higuchi landed on the ground, dead.

  
        "Hey, Higuchi!" Mogi started to shake Higuchi as if it would do something.

  
        "Dad, what're you doing?! We can't lose him! If Higuchi dies on this now…!" Light exclaimed.

  
        "It's impossible! That, but, there's nothing I can do. He's already…" Mr. Yagami responded.

  
        " _Yes. He's already dead and you're next, Ryuzaki."_ Light glanced at L.

* * *

        At the facility, Aizawa was looking through the Death Note. Everyone, but the girls, had touched it. No one seemed to practically notice this fact...for now. L and Light were seated at their usual seats. Everyone else was standing.

  
        Aizawa read the rules of the Death Note aloud. "'How to use it'. It says 'the human whose name is written in this notebook shall die. This note will not take effect unless the writer has a person's face in their mind when writing his or her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected. If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen. If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack. After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.' As well, the back cover has some more instructions on how to use it." Aizawa turned to the back page. "There are two more rules. One of them is 'if you make this note unusable by tearing it up or burning it, all the humans who have touched the note till then will die'."

  
        "What?!" Matsuda exclaimed. "Is that really true, Aizawa?!"

  
        "You're not just fucking with him, are ya?" Kohaku asked.

  
        "Look at this." Aizawa pointed towards what he read, showing it to Matsuda.

  
        "No way! Why didn't you tell me?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "How was I supposed to know?" Aizawa questioned.

  
        " _With a rule like that in place, the notebook's safety is guaranteed,"_ Light thought, knowing that some of the rules written in it were fake.

  
        "Oh man. Maybe I shouldn't have let my curiosity about seeing a Shinigami get the better of me," Matsuda commented.

  
        "Maybe, but then you would be the only one in the investigation who didn't know what we were dealing with. Is that what you want?" Mr. Yagami asked him.

  
        "Ah, no, of course not. I wanna be on the same page as everyone else on the task force, chief," Matsuda stated.

  
        "So do we," Kohaku commented. "But we haven't gotten a chance at all to lay our hands on the notebook of death you guys keep passing around amongst yourselves."

  
        "Yeah. When will we have a turn to touch the notebook?" Sakae asked.

  
        Everyone looked towards her and Kohaku.

  
        "You didn't touch it yet?" Ryuichi questioned.

  
        "She just said that. You got shit for brains?" Kohaku rolled her eyes.

  
        "No need to get snippy," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Are you sure they should?" Light asked. "They might not be able to handle it like we did."

  
        "Just because we're girls doesn't mean while flip our shit," Kohaku stated.

  
        "They need to know what's going on," Matsuda said.

  
        "I agree," L said.

  
        " _Damn it,"_ Light thought.

  
        "Just give us a heads up as to where...Rem is," Kohaku said.

  
        "She's right here beside me," Matsuda said, gesturing to where Rem was.

  
        Ryuichi walked over to them with the Death Note in his hand. Sakae and Kohaku nodded and they both touched the Death Note at the same time with their eyes on where Rem would appear at when they could see her. As soon as they touched it, their eyes widened as memories filled their mind. Everyone, except for Light, just thought they were surprised by Rem's appearance.

  
        Ryuichi took the Death Note from the girl's hands and they blinked. The new memories that they had lost when the Death Note was given up remained; despite that everyone else had touched it before them didn't matter, they had equal ownership of it again like last time, but Light was still the main owner. How the hell that even worked was uncertain; the Death Note could've possibly remembered them. It was lucky for the girls because now they remembered everything. It was unlucky for Light...because Kohaku was pissed off, even though she didn't show it.

  
        "Are you alright?" L asked Kohaku and Sakae, mainly concerned about Kohaku though, of course.

  
        "I-I'm fine. Just...uh...surprised," Sakae said, staring at Rem. With her memories suddenly back, she had to act as if she never had seen Rem before.

  
        L nodded. "Anyone would be." He stared at Kohaku, even more concerned now. "Kohaku, are you alright?'

  
        Kohaku looked at him and gave him a half-smile. "Peachy-keen." Her half-smile had no real emotion to it. It was all fake. She had forced herself to do so. Her feelings for L remained, of course, but her hatred for Light was back and it was probably more powerful than her love for L at the time being. Her fake half-smile didn't go unnoticed by L; he knew it was fake and he was determined to find out what was wrong later.

  
        As the men began to gather around and L had looked away from the girls to think, Kohaku looked at Light. He was looking at her and Sakae. Sakae looked at Light not to long later and looked between him and Kohaku, gulping.

  
        " _Oh no… Our friendship is back in the dumps…"_ Sakae thought.

  
        Kohaku glared at Light with so much hatred and mouthed to him, "I'm going to fucking kill you." She made gestures for him to know what she was saying.

  
        Light glared back and turned his chair so he wasn't facing her or Sakae. Kohaku gripped Sakae's arm and pulled her away from everyone. She moved her to where they couldn't be heard.

  
        "He fucking gave up ownership of the Death Note without telling us. He had fake rules added to it. He made us forget everything and he forgot everything too. I'm sure he was going to make sure we didn't remember but he fucked up. I'm glad he fucked up because I am going to fucking kill him," Kohaku growled under her breath. "I wish the three of us never touched the damned thing again. Now, our friendship is, once again, completely broken."

  
        "Oh shit…" Sakae commented.

  
        "I...I loved the old Light greatly because the old Light is my best friend. I want him back… I don't want the corrupted Light here..." Kohaku whispered, some of her anger gone. She just wanted the old him back. She hated the new him. She'll always hate the newer version of him. "I am going to fucking kill him, Sakae. He is dangerous and he...he's gonna kill…" Some tears appeared in her eyes. Her, once again, former best-friend was going to kill her boyfriend, one of few people she had ever really cared about and the first guy she ever loved in a romantic way.

  
        "Kohaku, calm down," Sakae said.

  
        "He doesn't care about us anymore," Kohaku said.

  
        "He does. He always did, even as Kira. He knows that if he kills L, it'll hurt you but he doesn't want that stopping his happiness. I know that sounds bad but he still does care about you enough that he hasn't planned on killing you after L," Sakae whispered.

  
        "Not yet. He is probably considering it now. Why don't you ask him the next time you two are alone? I'm sure he'll tell you while he fucks you. Corrupted Light isn't as loving and caring as the Light we knew not too long ago. His feelings for you are probably mainly lust with a tiny bit of love now. I'm sorry but it is most likely true," Kohaku said, crossing her arms angrily. "I'm going to kick his ass the first chance I get."

  
        "Kohaku, you're overreacting," Sakae commented.

  
        "And you're under-reacting," Kohaku said.

  
        "Let's just talk about this later, okay?" Sakae suggested.

  
        "Fine. Whatever." Kohaku rolled her eyes.

  
        The girls went back over to the men. They listened in on the conversation.

  
        "And then, there is this last rule. According to these instructions at the back of the notebook, 'If the person using the note fails to consecutively write names of people to be killed within 13 days of each other, then the user will die'," Aizawa said.

  
        Kohaku had her arms crossed. " _Another fake rule to save Light and Misa's asses. Now that I am thinking about Misa, we had became somewhat friends while my memories were gone. I wonder if she'll be getting hers back soon and she'll be back to obsessing over Light and just forget everything I had said about following her heart and trying to search somewhere else for a guy..."_

  
        "Ah! Wait a second. If that's true, then it means Light and Misa-Misa are completely cleared, doesn't it?!" Matsuda exclaimed. Sakae and Kohaku weren't mentioned due to two reasons: reason one being that they had brought themselves into that mess and everyone assumed correctly that the girls only did that so Light wouldn't be alone and reason two being that the girls were basically around them 24/7 and they didn't lay their hands on a Death Note ever.

  
        "Yeah, now that you mentioned it, that's right! Light and Misa were detained for more than 50 days and are still under surveillance. If either of them had been Kira, there is no way they would still be alive by now," Aizawa said.

  
        "Woah! That's great news, isn't it, chief?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "Yeah," Mr. Yagami commented.

  
        "Very," Ryuichi commented.

  
        Sakae tried not to stutter or hesitate to answer. "Yeah. That's really great news."

  
        "Mhm. Super," Kohaku commented blankly.

  
        "Something wrong, Kohaku?" Matsuda asked her. "You're kind of acting like you use to all of a sudden."

  
        "Just...in a bad mood because we still have to figure out how to catch Kira when the power keeps transferring to different people," Kohaku lied smoothly. However, L was the only one who saw through that lie. Once they were alone, he was going to find out what was going on.

  
        L spoke to Rem, though he didn't look at her and instead stared at a stack of sweets he made. "Rem, was it? That's your name, isn't it? The white thing over there?"

  
        "Ryuzaki, isn't it a bit rude to go round calling someone a white thing?" Matsuda questioned him.

  
        Rem turned to look at L. "What do you want?"

  
        "There's more than one notebook in the human world, isn't there?" L asked.

  
        "...Who knows. There may be and there may not be," Rem said.

  
        "If there are other notebooks either here or in your world, will they all have the same rules as this one?" L asked.

  
        " _I see what he is trying to do, but sadly, it will not work,"_ Kohaku thought. She frowned. " _...Maybe I...should reveal everything to L so that this can all end… He'll probably hate me though so...maybe I shouldn't… I don't know what to do… I want to do the right thing but I don't want to lose L… Hell, I'd lose him either way, wouldn't I? Either to death or to hatred… Ugh..."_

  
        Sakae stared at Kohaku. " _She's thinking about something that's upsetting her. It must be about L…"_

  
        " _You're wasting your time, Ryuzaki. You'll never get Rem to admit these rules are fake,"_ Light thought.

  
        "Yes, they are all the same. There are many notebooks in the Shinigami realm but they all have the same rules, even the rules for when humans obtain them," Rem stated.

  
        "Ryuzaki, Misa Amane and Light have both been cleared of suspicion. They shouldn't be under surveillance any longer," Aizawa said.

  
        "That's right! It's crystal-clear!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "I suppose you are right," L said. On the large screen in the room was Misa reading a book in her room. "...I understand and please accept my apologies for all the trouble." Light's smirk remained unnoticed.

  
        "Thank goodness," Mr. Yagami said, walking over to where Light was sitting and placing his hand on Light's shoulder.

  
        "Yeah, but we still can't say that we've solved the case until we've figured out everything. Would it be alright if I kept investigating with you without the handcuffs on?" Light asked L.

  
        "Yes," L answered simply.

  
        " _Hmph,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        " _And just like that, Misa and I are proven innocent. A notebook of death filled with rules written by a Shinigami; he has no choice but to believe it. He just lost his edge thanks to the fake rules I created. Listen Ryuzaki, no matter what the world, the God of that world creates the rules._ _In truth, you have already been defeated by the rules I created and as punishment for defying the God of the new world, you will die,"_ Light thought. He looked towards L as he thought. Kohaku moved over to them and she laid her head on L's head, wrapping her arms around his neck. " _I am still unsure if I should kill Kohaku or not."_

  
        The future of everyone had great uncertainty. Anything could happen… Anything…

* * *

        It's October 30th. Misa was allowed to finally leave. Misa was hugging Kohaku. Kohaku felt awkward, not use to this feeling since she disliked Misa before her memories were taken away.

  
        "You'll text me everyday, won't you?" Misa asked. "Friends forever, right?"

  
        Kohaku nodded, slightly uncertain. "Sure. Yeah. Friends forever." She grinned a tiny bit. She tried to act like she did before the memory return. "And don't forget to text Matsuda too. Now that you're free, maybe you and him could go on a date."

  
        Matsuda was standing near them, standing beside Mr. Yagami, Mogi, and Aizawa. He blushed, though he continued to cry. "W-Wait, so this isn't goodbye?"

  
        Sakae was standing beside Light. She laughed a bit. "Well, if she is going to possibly text you then I would say it isn't a goodbye but more of a text-you-later."

  
        "Mhm." Misa nodded and smiled.

  
        Matsuda smiled a little and blushed more. "I-I guess we'll talk later then, Misa-Misa!"

  
        "Knock it off, Matsuda," Aizawa said.

  
        Kohaku walked off. "Bye Misa!"

  
        Sakae ran over to give Misa a quick hug. "See you around, Misa!" She quickly ran after Kohaku. "Wait for me!"

  
        Light gave Misa a hug. "Take care, Misa."

  
        Misa blushed a tiny bit, some of her feelings for Light still somewhat remained. "You too."

  
        "Let's leave them alone," Aizawa stated, dragging Matsuda away as he followed Mr. Yagami and Mogi.

  
        "Goodbye, Misa-Misa!" Matsuda yelled.

  
        Soon, Light and Misa were alone. Light smirked slightly as he continued to hug Misa. " _Good. There are surveillance cameras but they won't be able to pick up my face or mouth from this angle_." He started to speak to Misa. "Misa, I'm gonna tell you about a special place. I need you to go there and dig something up, but you have to make sure that no one is watching."

  
        Misa smiled a little. " _Light! Your memory must have returned! Awesome! Don't worry, I can do this. I won't let you down."_

* * *

        It's November 4th. Misa was out in the woods, digging up the notebook that Light had buried. She took a box out of the ground and opened it. She picked up the Death Note and her memories rushed back to her. She smiled and giggled a little.

  
        " _Light, I remember. I remember everything that happened when I had this notebook._ _You buried this one so I could come here and regain my memories. Kohaku and Sakae knew about the Death Note. I didn't like them very much...and they didn't seem to like me much either...but we're friends now and I am glad that we became friends. I hope we still can be. Kohaku made me see Light in a different way. I actually like Matsui, well, Matsuda. He's funny and he likes me too. But I will remain loyal to Light. I'll help him out with whatever."_

  
        Misa flipped through the notebook and a folded note fell out. "Huh?" She picked it up and opened it. "Oh, a letter from Light."

  
         _Dear Misa, by the time you read this letter, you should have remembered everything. Do you remember my friend at To-Oh University? He went by the name Hideki Ryuga. I want you to write his real name in the notebook and kill him. Then burn this letter right away. Take a number of pages from the notebook and rebury it where you found it. The next time when we see each other, casually touch me with a piece of the notebook. If you do this for me, I promise I will love you for the rest of my life._

  
        Misa frowned. " _Sorry Light, but I don't need your love anymore. You want me to kill Ryuzaki but I cannot kill Kohaku's boyfriend. That would hurt her. I don't want my friend to hurt. Hmm… I am curious as to what his real name is though."_ She tried to remember it. " _Shoot! I was seeing dozens, no, hundreds of names and lifespans everyday. Aww, I really wanted to know his name… Boo… But, at least this gives me an excuse so Light won't be mad at me for not killing Ryuzaki."_

  
        Ryuk suddenly appeared, dropping down from the sky and onto a tree branch . "Ah, I've finally returned to the human world!" He jumped to the ground.

  
        Misa hugged him. "Ryuk! Oh, it's been so long! I'm so glad to see you! How are you doing?!"

  
        "Sorry, er." Ryuk made his upper body intangible, causing Misa to release her hug. She blinked. "I'm a guy. I get a little shy sometimes."

  
        Misa laughed. She went over to her bag. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Here! Light told me to bring one for you." She pulled out an apple and Ryuk started to munch on it. "Is it really that good?"

  
        "Oh yeah, human apples are, oh what's the word, juicy, I think. They are great anyway. Oh, why don't you try this?" As he ate the apple, he pulled out a rotten looking one. "An apple from the Shinigami world."

  
        "It doesn't look very good," Misa said, taking it.

  
        "C'mon, one bite won't kill you," Ryuk said.

  
        "Mm, by the way, before I forget, I want you to make the eye deal with me." Misa took a bite out of the apple from the Shinigami realm. She spit it back out. "Ick, it's sand!"

  
        "The deal, huh?" Ryuk questioned. Misa nodded as she grinned at him a bit. "You understand what that means? You've already made the same deal with Rem once before. Are you sure you really want me to cut your lifespan in a half but a second time?"

  
        "I know, but what choice do I have? I want to help Light because he's my friend. I don't mind killing people for him if it makes him happy…" Misa bit her lip. " _Though, Ryuzaki is the only person I can't kill…"_

  
        "Ha, well, it's fine with me," Ryuk said.

* * *

        At the facility on the same day, Matsuda was sitting down in front of the large monitor in the surveillance room with Rem, Light, and Mr. Yagami standing around him. L, Sakae, Ryuichi, and Kohaku were sitting on couches. Misa showed up on the screen at the entrance to the facility.

  
        "Hey, it's Misa-Misa!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        Rem spotted Ryuk behind Misa. " _Hm?! Ryuk! Why is he attached to Misa? ...Huh?! Misa's life-span! It's been halved again! No, did she make the deal with Ryuk?"_

  
        "Yeah, I got a text from her that she wanted to talk to Light and I," Kohaku said. "And I answered back with 'Okay, see ya soon'."

  
        "Wha? But I thought we weren't allowed to have our cell phones on. I have to go outside whenever I want to text Misa." Matsuda pouted. "That's not fair."

  
        "Well, I'm Ryuzaki's girlfriend so just deal with it," Kohaku said, smiling a little bit.

  
        "I think I know why she'd want to talk to Light but I wonder what she wants to talk to you about, Kohaku," Sakae said. She smiled. "You better fill me in on everything when you come back."

  
        "Yep." Kohaku stood up. "Let's get moving, asshole," she said to Light, heading to the elevator. This did not surprise the men. Three days after Higuchi's death, a day after Misa was set free, Kohaku and Light started acting rude towards one another. The men believed they had gotten into some sort of argument while L had other thoughts as to why they were acting as they were. L had spoke to Kohaku about the new attitude she had towards Light but she never told him the truth about it, which lowered his trust in her a little bit; he knew damn well that something had happened and it wasn't a random argument.

  
        "Do you have to be rude towards me?" Light asked, turning to glare at her.

  
        "Well, you've been rude towards me the past couple of days so why the fuck not. Now, get your ass over here and let's go. Misa is waiting," Kohaku said, standing by the elevator now and facing his direction.

  
        "Okay, okay," Light said before heading over to the elevator and entering it with Kohaku. He looked at her and glared as the elevator started moving. "You sure know how to make a big deal of something small."

  
        "You tried to keep Sakae and I away from the notebook to keep our memories away! You are even more corrupt than I had thought before my memories were forced away by you!" Kohaku didn't look at him. She'd punch him otherwise.

  
        "You'd think I'd let you keep them and risk being revealed? Besides it was only about the Death Note," Light clarified, not looking at Kohaku. "You weren't missing anything important."

  
        "Nothing important?! I remembered that you are going to try and kill my boyfriend!" Kohaku looked at him and gripped onto his shirt, making him look at her, glaring as well. "That's extremely important! Maybe not to you but to me!"

  
        "So what? Death is a part of life. Your boyfriend would die one day, anyway," Light commented.

  
        "How would you fucking feel if I was the corrupted one and I was going to kill Sakae before she was suppose to die!? How the fuck would you feel?!" Kohaku questioned him.

  
        "That would depend. Would you kill her in cold blood or allow her to go peaceful?" Light asked.

  
        "I said corrupted. I doubt a corrupted being like you are would let someone die peacefully so why the fuck would a corrupted me let someone die peacefully? You know what, I fucking hate you." Kohaku let go of his shirt. "And I can't wait until I get a better chance to kick your ass."

  
        The elevator finally arrived at its destination. Kohaku exited the elevator first, followed by Light. They headed to where Misa stood. Kohaku hugged Misa. The surveillance cams could see them but the audio couldn't be picked up.

  
        "Hey, Misa. You wanted to talk to us?" she asked Misa.

  
        "Yeah. Is it okay if I speak with Light alone first?" Misa asked her.

  
        "...Sure. Go ahead. I'll...be outside," Kohaku said. She walked out of the building.

  
        Misa hugged Light. "Hey, Light." She had a piece of a Death Note page in her hand and she touched Light with it. He could now see Ryuk.

  
        "It's been a while, Ryuk," Light said. Ryuk just laughed.

  
        "Light, I'm so sorry. I don't remember Hideki Ryuga's real name. I tried but I totally forgot." Misa didn't lie, exactly. She really didn't remember his real name.

  
        "Oh, I see. Well, that's too bad," Light said.

  
        "But I did the eye deal with Ryuk so I can try again!" Misa half-lied. She did the eye deal to kill other people for Light. She wasn't going to try to kill Ryuzaki.

  
        "You idiot!" Light exclaimed, placing his hand on her shoulder. He was acting, of course. "If you do that, then your life-span would…!"

  
        "No, it's all right. I just wanna be of use to you, Light," Misa said, truthfully.

  
        "Misa, all I want is to enjoy a long life with you in an ideal world. That's just how I feel," Light said.

  
        Misa frowned a bit. "You don't have to lie, you know. You love Sakae. I realized that I love you only as a friend, which is why I am doing this. I am loyal to all of my friends."

  
        Light blinked. He didn't really expect that to happen. He thought she'd be crazy over him again once her memories came back. "Well then, let's create the new world together. It'll be a place with no crime where only kind people live, okay? It will be a better world for all of us."

  
        Misa smiled a little bit. "Yeah. I'll see you later, Light. I'm going to go talk to Kohaku now." She headed outside and Light headed back to where the others were.

  
        Kohaku was leaning against the building. There weren't any cameras outside.

  
        "Hey," Misa said.

  
        Kohaku looked at her. "Yo."

  
        "So…um...do you remember anything about...Kira?" Misa hesitated to ask.

  
        "I remember everything. So does Sakae. Why?" Kohaku looked at Misa, curiously.

  
        "Light wanted me to kill Ryuzaki," Misa revealed.

  
        "I don't doubt you," Kohaku said. "So…?"

  
        "I forgot his name, but even if I had remembered it, I wouldn't have wrote his name down." Misa smiled a little. "I can't take away your loved one, Kohaku. We became friends while our memories were gone. I hope we still can be. Not killing Ryuzaki is my way of showing you that I'm still your friend...I guess. I got the eyes again though, but I won't use them to get his name. I'll just use them to help Light another way."

  
        Kohaku hugged Misa. "Oh, Misa. I wish you didn't do that..."

  
        "I didn't want Light to get mad at me. He's my friend. I'm loyal to all of my friends," Misa stated.

  
        "That's both a good and a bad thing in this situation," Kohaku stated as she continued hugging Misa.

  
        Misa's smile became more sad like. "Yeah… I know…"

  
        "We're still friends. Always will be, Misa. You aren't...as annoying as you use to be." Kohaku pulled out of the hug. "I guess I'll see you around sometime? Maybe we can go party like rockstars or something?"

  
        Misa nodded and laughed a little. "Yeah. That would be nice. Sakae can come along too."

  
        Kohaku smiled a bit. "Yeah. Well, see ya, Misa. Oh and I'm glad you don't want to kill L because of our friendship. It means a lot to me." She ran inside the facility.

  
        "Bye and you're welcome!" Misa yelled to her before she left.

* * *

        Sakae stood against the railing, staring out towards the city. She was in the place Light had brought her for back on the day of her birthday. The air was a little bit chilly, making goose-bumps raise along her arms. "Chilly tonight, isn't it?" She turned slightly to see Light walking towards her. She didn't answer back and just turned back towards the city. Surprise filled her when she felt a jacket drape over her. "What's on your mind?" Sakae heard Light ask.

  
        A small sigh escaped her. "I…I really wonder what is going to happen now."

  
        "What do you mean?" Light asked, all confused.

  
        "The stuff with L, with Kohaku, with Misa, and with…us," Sakae confessed. She continued to look towards the city to keep Light from looking at her face. Sadness and guilt nipped at her mind as she thought about Kohaku and L.

  
        "I rather not talk about them right now," Light said as he laid his hand on Sakae's. "Right now, it's just you and I."

  
        "Light-" Sakae turned to look at him but she stopped right in her tracks. Light stared at her but the emotion he held seemed unreadable. "A-Are you okay?"

  
        Light nodded. "Perfectly fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

  
        "I-I don't know," Sakae stared up at Light, examining the emotion he held behind his mask. "You're hiding something. What is it?"

  
        "I guess I could tell you." Light backed Sakae into the railing, putting his hands on either side of her. "Sakae, I…I feel as if I could go crazy whenever I'm near you. Do you have any idea how that feels? Having the one you love there but…they're not completely yours?"

  
        "W-What are you talking about?" Sakae demanded, scared slightly of Light. She saw a small spark of lust cross his eyes. "What are you doing?"

  
        Light pulled Sakae into a hug, holding her tightly to him. "I love you, Sakae." Sakae shivered slightly and she knew that those words felt lifeless. The Light she knew was with them no longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we had to get Sakae and Kohaku their memories back but we didn't know exactly how to do it, so I created a new random rule of the Death Note, I guess. I sort of explained it when the memory of the girls returned. The story makes no sense sometimes, but hey, anime doesn't make sense sometimes so that shit totally fits.  
>         Misa's personality has changed slightly. Misa has become less obsessed with Light and even with her memories back, she isn't that obsessed with him because of Kohaku's advice and friendship. Kohaku has saved the life of Misa Amane who will not commit suicide if we decide to kill Light in this story (we probably won't, but who knows).  
>         Light's Current Personality: He basically has a split personality. He barely has a good side, but what is left of it is there only because of Sakae and his love for her. His bad side lusts for Sakae. So, yeah. Totally makes sense, right? xD In the last scene, we saw a tiny bit of old Light when he hugged her but the corrupted Light made the 'I love you' have no meaning whatsoever. Hope that makes sense. Basically, Light is more corrupt than he was before the memory loss like Kohaku said.


	26. Tragedy Almost Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You will be cliffhangered in the end...

        The date is November 5th. The year was nearly about to end, starting yet another new year. It was about five 'o'clock in the morning. L was sitting in his usual crouching position on the bed he and Kohaku share. He had his thumb to his mouth and he seemed to be in deep thought. He was shirtless and was only wearing his baggy jeans. He looked to his right, towards Kohaku. She was sleeping soundlessly beside him, the blanket covering most of her body. It was clear that she was naked underneath it.

  
        As Kohaku slept, L reached towards her and moved some of her hair that was in front of her face. He smiled softly to himself as he stared at Kohaku for a moment, admiring her beauty in that moment while stroking her cheek a tad. He soon retracted his hand and got off of the bed. He got a new shirt from the wardrobe and looked towards the sleeping Kohaku. He frowned a bit as a certain thought went through his mind. He headed out of the room and he headed to where he would find Watari.

  
        Watari was in his room, which also served as a second surveillance room, and he heard the door open. He turned his desk chair a bit to face L. L walked into the room a bit before stopping, slouching where he stood. Watari stared at him, a bit concerned. "Ryuzaki, is something the matter? What is it?" He turned his chair more, completely facing L now. "...Hm?" L just stood there with a sad, blank expression on his face.

  
        Something bad was going to happen...and soon…

* * *

        It's well into the new day. Everyone was awake and moving. Kohaku, Sakae, Light, L, and the others were in the large surveillance room. Sakae was standing away from everyone with Kohaku. Ryuichi was standing near Aizawa and Matsuda, chatting with them a bit. Rem was by the couches and L was sitting in his normal position on the couch, looking at the Death Note. Light was standing by the stairs. Mr. Yagami was not there yet. Watari was in his room. Kohaku and Sakae were having a private talk, completely out of hearing range so no one knew what they were speaking about.

  
        "So, now you believe me about the fact that the Light we know and love is gone, possibly forever?" Kohaku questioned Sakae. "All it took was for Light to say what he said last night? What exactly happened? He didn't force you into sex or anything, did he?"

  
        "Huh?" Sakae looked a little surprised at the sudden question but shook her head. "No, but something tells me…" she commented.

  
        "Something tells you...what? That our Light is gone, replaced with the evil personality of Kira completely?" Kohaku asked her.

  
        "Our Light is still there, just buried beneath the corruption of power. I just don't know how we could even get the old Light back, that's the thing," Sakae answered.

  
        "I don't know how...I mean, getting him to give up the Death Note again is out of the question because he'd never do that...plus we'll just end up losing our memories again. I would hope that...if one of us end up getting harmed, he'd go back to being himself, I mean our Light, temporarily, but we don't want that to happen because who'd want to get hurt?" Kohaku groaned. "This is just too much. I want old Light back but I also want to beat the shit out of the new Light."

  
        "I know what you mean." Sakae looked over at Light then she started to stare at the ground. "I honestly wish we could go back to before we found the Death Note, yet...I don't for some reason."

  
        "It's been quite an adventure so that could be one of the reasons why you don't want to go back to before all this. I think either way, we would've gotten involved in this somehow. I don't know though. Anything could have happened to be hones-I'm babbling off topic a bit. We were talking about Light and you from last night." Kohaku shook her head a bit. "That was what we were talking about, right?"

  
        "Yeah," Sakae said. "I believe we were until we got into another topic."

  
        "Actually...maybe it would be best for us to stop talking about it before someone overhears…" Kohaku glanced towards everyone.

  
        Sakae nodded. "Probably a good idea." Sakae and Kohaku headed over to everyone. Kohaku moved to stand at the couch L was sitting on and Sakae moved over to stand with Ryuichi.

  
        Ryuichi looked over at Sakae and nudged her slightly. "You seem troubled," he commented. "What were you and Kohaku talking about?"

  
        "We were just talking about the past and the present, comparing stuff and all," Sakae answered with a small smile. "Don't worry so much, Ryu. I know how to take care of myself from time to time."

  
        "I know, I know," Ryuichi sighed slight. "I worry because I care. Do you think I want something to happen to my little sister?"

  
        "Stop worrying about me and start worrying about your love life. If you dote on me so much, you'll end up growing old and with no kids," Sakae commented with a small giggle.

  
        "Hey, I do have a love life. I just don't bring it up all too often." Ryuichi nervously scratched the back of his head while looking away from his little sister.

  
        "Ooh! Ryuichi has a girlfriend! You have a girlfriend and you never told me?! Shame on you, big bro," Sakae teased.

  
        "Remind me why I keep you around?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "Because you are worried I won't be able to survive without you and mom and dad would be mad at you-" Sakae was cut off.

  
        "Okay, okay, enough; I get it." Ryuichi smiled at his little sister and received a shining smile in response. "You are one heck of a little sister, Sakae."

  
        "And you are one heck of a big brother, Ryuichi," Sakae said.

  
        Kohaku watched L as he turned the Death Note upside down and inspected one of the pages. One of the corners had been torn out, which was caused by Rem when she wanted Misa to see her again.

  
        "Hm, interesting. The corner of the page of this notebook has been torn off. Can you kill someone just by writing their name on a piece?" L was glancing back and forth between the Death Note and Rem.

  
        " _Rem isn't going to tell you anything, L… Sorry,"_ Kohaku thought.

  
        "Can't say. I've never tried using it like that and I don't know of anyone who has," Rem stated.

  
        "Then let me ask you, do Gods of death love apples?" L asked her.

  
        "Not necessarily. You see, our internal organs have already degraded; we've evolved to a point where we do not require sustenance," Rem explained.

  
        L started to speak to Light. "Say Light, you are finally free to leave headquarters on your own but it seems like you never go out. Even when Misa comes to visit, you only chat with her for a few minutes outside. Also, you do realize you are free to have a relationship with Sakae now?"

  
        "That can wait until we've managed to solve this case. Anyway, are you suggesting that I'll be a nuisance for staying here?" Light questioned.

  
        "No," L said.

  
        "Yes," Kohaku commented, turning towards Light and smirking. "You are being a great nuisance by staying here."

  
        Light glared at her. Sakae moved quickly to get in between them before anything started. She started pulling Light to away. "I'm giving you a timeout, mister," Sakae said.

  
        Light blinked. "Wha, but, I didn't do anything!"

  
        "You were probably going to do something like insult her or... something so timeout," Sakae said. She moved him to the furthest corner of the room away from Kohaku and, well, everyone else.

  
        "I don't see your reasoning for doing what you are doing," Light commented.

  
        Sakae shrugged slightly then gave a sad smile. Light watched her for a few moments. "Sakae, are you okay? You don't seem like your usual self."

  
        "Perfectly fine, just thinking about everything," Sakae confessed before turning away from Light.

  
        "You don't seem like it." Light lightly grabbed Sakae's shoulder and turned her to look at him. "Tell me, is something wrong? I'll do everything in my power to fix it."

  
        "Light..." Sakae looked like she wanted to say something but didn't. "It's nothing." She shrugged off his hands from her shoulders.

  
        Light narrowed his eyes. "I see."

  
        "What?" Sakae cocked her head slightly, confused.

  
        "Don't worry, everything will be fine." Light smiled at her before pulling her into a hug. "I'll make sure of that."

  
        Sakae's breath hitched as she was pulled into the hug. The smile and the hug, there was no feeling in it. It left Sakae feeling empty almost. Just when she thought she might have had her Light back, he was just taken away by the lust for power. "Y-Yeah" was all she could say as Light pulled out of the hug. He gave her one final smile then walked over to where everyone else was.

* * *

        Mr. Yagami exited the elevator and headed over to everyone. By this point, L had moved to one of the desk chairs and everyone was gathered around where the surveillance screens and computers were. "What's going on?! I heard criminals are being killed again!" He soon stood right behind Aizawa. Matsuda was standing to Aizawa's right. Light, Sakae, Ryuichi, and Kohaku were standing around behind L's chair.

  
        "There were 16 deaths just yesterday. All of them were broadcast after Higuchi's death," Aizawa informed everyone, though they pretty much knew this already.

  
        "Immediately after, huh?" Matsuda questioned.

  
        "Apparently," Ryuichi commented.

  
        "Do you think this could mean that Higuchi wasn't necessarily Kira, after all?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        "No. It's safe to say that Higuchi was the one killing criminals until we apprehended him," Light said.

  
        "Then this means we are dealing with yet another Kira," Aizawa stated.

  
        "No shit," Kohaku commented. " _It's more like the original Kira is who you are dealing with. Damn you, Light."_

  
        "Awww, man! Not again!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "Damn. Damn you, Kira!" Light clenched one of his fists. He was acting, of course, since he was Kira again.

  
        "Hmm…" Ryuichi looked over at Light for a moment with his eyes narrowed.

  
        Sakae didn't say anything. She just stayed quiet and listened to everyone. She didn't want to talk. Ryuichi looked at her and he seemed to be a bit concerned about her sudden behavior.

  
        "You okay, Sakae?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Sakae said. "Nothing to worry about."

  
        Ryuichi narrowed his eyes a bit. "Why do I not believe you?"

  
        "I'm serious. I'm fine, okay?" Sakae answered.

  
        Ryuichi let out a small sigh and conceded, "Fine, but I'm watching you."

  
        " _Another Kira's appeared? What's going on here?_ " L thought.

  
        " _I can't believe this! It has to be Misa!"_ Rem thought.

  
        "These killings began as soon as Misa was free, didn't they?" L questioned, eating some kind of snack.

  
        Light spoke immediately after him. "Ryuzaki, are you still going on about that? She has nothing to do with this! Think about it, this started as soon as Higuchi died!"

  
        "Hm, I suppose you are right. Oh well, if there is another notebook floating around out there and someone is now using it to kill criminals, I'll just have to bring that person to justice," L said, eating some of his little snack some more. " _The Shinigami insisted that it didn't know, but if someone were able to kill simply by writing a name on a torn piece of the notebook… It's not impossible, but there is that rule;_ ' _Whoever writes a name in this notebook has to write another name within 13 days, otherwise they die'._ _Light Yagami and Misa Amane are both still alive. Kohaku and Sakae are as well, which is good news. Thirteen days. That's the only problem._ "

  
        "Ryuzaki, I've been thinking. Even if we do manage to catch the person who's been writing names in the notebook, will we really be able to legally convict and punish them for mass homicide?" Light asked him.

  
        "What?! Of course we can convict them! This guy's intentionally writing names in the notebook knowing that these people are going to die. Even if we don't plan on publicly acknowledging the notebook, the least we can do is execute the killer," Matsuda stated. This caused Rem to gasp lightly. Kohaku and Sakae both looked towards Rem, having the same thought in mind: Rem would have to kill L for Misa to live, resulting in her own death as a result. That was Light's plan. Kohaku and Sakae didn't like the plan just like Rem didn't like it.

  
        "It's not a very humane way to do things, but the higher-ups would probably want to take measures like that," Aizawa stated.

  
        "If they admit to killing with the notebook, they'll receive the death penalty or life in prison at least." L munched on his food and continued to speak. "That's the best they could hope for."

  
        " _What are you thinking, Light Yagami. Making Misa kill again?! She'll be caught and once that happens you'll also be-"_ Rem gasped in her head. " _So, that's what your plan is. You are truly disgusting. Light Yagami is certain that I would do anything to help Misa and save her life, and at this point, the only way for me to save Misa is to write Ryuzaki's real name in my notebook. And if I kill Ryuzaki, it would mean that I deliberately lengthened Misa's life and I will die as well. Light Yagami has planned everything so that it would work out in his favor."_

  
        Light looked at Rem with evil eyes. " _What are you gonna do, Rem? You may be a Shinigami but you can't hide the fact that you care for Misa. There's no way you'll turn your back on her now after she's already halved her life-span twice. Come on, think about Misa's happiness."_

* * *

        Some time has went by. Light and Sakae were walking around the facility with Kohaku walking slowly behind them with her arms crossed. Awkward silence filled the air. Light didn't want Kohaku around but Kohaku didn't want Sakae to be alone with Light, though she was really tempted to just head to the roof and just stay there for the rest of the day or whatever; she didn't want to be near Light at all, at least not new him.

  
        "...This is nice," Sakae commented. "The three of us walking around together...sort of."

  
        "Could've been worse, could've been better," Light commented.

  
        Kohaku just stayed quiet. She was a different person now. She hated Light with a passion again but this time she also greatly loved her former best friend because of the time they had while he wasn't Kira temporarily. She knew that they'd have to bring the old Light back somehow. There had to be something that would draw back the old Light. But what exactly? There was no way he'd give up the Death Note. Absolutely no way. So, what other way could they get the old Light back...other than Sakae or herself getting hurt?

  
        "Kohaku, please say something," Sakae said as she stopped walking. Light paused beside her. Sakae turned to Kohaku while Light just looked everywhere else but at Kohaku.

  
        "...Why? I have nothing to say, especially with...him around," Kohaku said, giving Light a cold look.

  
        "I'm sure you would have plenty to say," Light commented.

  
        "Go fuck yourself." Kohaku glared at him. "I could kick your ass right now."

  
        "Oh? So what's stopping you?" Light asked her, smirking. He knew she could fight and he didn't mind hitting her back since she wasn't, well, Sakae, but he was curious as to why she wasn't doing anything. Perhaps she was scared she'd lose in a fight with him, though that was highly unlikely.

  
        "I don't want Sakae to end up getting hurt," Kohaku stated.

  
        "Kohaku…" Sakae sighed slightly then smiled. "If he's being an ass, kick it."

  
        Awkward silence filled the air once again. Kohaku couldn't stand just...standing around so she started to walk again. She walked past Light and Sakae. "I'm going to the roof."

  
        "But it's raining," Sakae stated.

  
        "Don't care. I am going to the roof," Kohaku stated as she started to head up a bunch of stairs.

  
        "Come on," Sakae told Light, pulling him with her so they could follow Kohaku.

  
        "Why are we following her?" Light asked.

  
        "So she doesn't end up doing something stupid...other than stand in the rain," Sakae said.

  
        "I still don't see the reasoning," Light said.

  
        "Stop complaining and come on," Sakae told him. She didn't want to be alone with Light now that his personality has changed greatly. She also truthfully didn't want Kohaku to do something stupid or get sick.

  
        The two of them followed Kohaku to the rooftop.

* * *

        Kohaku, Light, and Sakae arrived at the rooftop. Before stepping onto the roof, they all noticed that L was there already, staring at the sky as it rained. L was drenched from the rain; he must've been out there for quite a bit.

  
        "I'm glad I decided to head up here," Kohaku commented.

  
        "What are you doing standing out there by yourself?!" Light yelled to L, startling the girls a bit; they hadn't expected him to...to just fucking yell. They figured he was going to walk off and not give a damn about why L was out on the roof in the rain.

  
        L looked towards Light, Sakae, and Kohaku. He signaled to them that he couldn't hear.

  
        Light growled a bit and shouted. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING STANDING OUT THERE BY YOURSELF?!"

  
        "Damn it, Light!" Kohaku rubbed her ears. "I think you made my eardrums explode."

  
        "Mine too," Sakae commented. She messing with one of her ears too.

  
        "Sorry," Light apologized only to Sakae.

  
        L signaled at them again with a goofy-ish smile on his face. Kohaku laughed a little at how cute he looked doing that. Light headed out into the rain and Sakae & Kohaku immediately followed him. They walked over to L.

  
        Light sighed as soon as he and the girls were standing beside L.

  
        "What are you doing, Ryuzaki?" Light asked L.

  
        "Oh, I'm not doing anything in particular. It's just…" L was looking downward and then he looked up towards the sky a bit. "I hear the bell."

  
        "Hmm? The bell?" Light questioned.

  
        Kohaku looked very confused and so did Sakae. They both tilted their heads in confusion. "Bell?"

  
        L looked towards the three of them momentarily. "Yes." He looked back towards the sky. "The sound of the bell has been unusually loud today." As L stared at the sky, Kohaku, Light, and Sakae listened for a bell, but could not hear one.

  
        "I don't hear anything," Light commented.

  
        "I...I don't either," Sakae said softly, frowning. She looked towards Kohaku.

  
        "I don't hear anything too…" Kohaku stated in a hushed tone. She was frowning and she looked at the sky for a moment. She felt that something was wrong. She felt that something was going to happen that would change absolutely everything. She felt...like she was going to be losing L soon...in more ways than one...

  
        L continued to stare at the sky. "Really? You can't hear it? It's been ringing nonstop all day. I find it very distracting. I wonder if it's a church, maybe a wedding, or perhaps a…" L didn't continue his sentence.

  
        "Where are you getting that, Ryuzaki? Come on, cut it out! Let's get back inside," Light said.

  
        L looked down sadly and spoke a bit quietly. "...I'm sorry. Nothing I say makes any sense anyway. If I were you, I wouldn't believe any of it."

  
        "...Hmm?" Light stared at L who continued looking down quietly.

  
        Kohaku moved closer to L and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're not the only one here who speaks nonsense from time to time," she whispered. L looked at her and Kohaku half-smiled at him. Sakae smiled as she watched Kohaku and L.

  
        Light grinned a bit. "You know, you're totally right," he told L. "Honestly, most the things you say sound like complete nonsense. There would be no end to my troubles if I actually took you seriously all the time. I probably know that better than anyone."

  
        "Mmm…" Kohaku found herself not making a bitchy remark towards something Light said. She didn't want to. She was too sad right now. She had to figure out what was worrying her so much and soon before it was too late…

  
        "Yes. I would say that's a fair assessment but.. I could say the same about you," L stated.

  
        "What's that supposed to mean?" Light asked.

  
        "Tell me, Light." L looked at Light. "From the moment you were born, has there ever been a point where you'd actually told the truth?"

  
        There was completely silence between the four of them. Sakae bit her lip, wondering what Light was going to say. Kohaku remained looking at the sky, avoiding looking at anyone. L stared at Light, waiting for him to answer. The rain pouring down was the only sound that could be heard for those few moments of silence between the four of them.

  
        "Where is this coming from, Ryuzaki? I do admit I stretch the truth here and there. However, find me one person in this world who's never had to tell a lie. It wouldn't be easy. Human beings just aren't made to be perfect like that. Everybody lies from time to time. Even so, I've always made a conscious effort to be careful not to tell a lie that could hurt others. That's my answer," Light stated.

  
        "...I had a feeling you'd say something like that," L said.

  
        Kohaku mumbled something and everyone looked at her.

  
        "What was that?" Light asked, expecting her to reveal that she said a bitchy remake.

  
        Kohaku looked at Light. Her eyes showed sadness and anxiety. "I said...you're right. We all lie from time to time… It's just...only a matter of time before our lies catch up to us...no?"

  
        Sakae nodded slowly. "Yeah… I agree completely… Our lies will catch us to all of us eventually… It all depends on what kind of lie someone told..." Sakae smiled sadly. She could feel what Kohaku had been feeling...except it was for something different. She felt...that their lies were about to catch up to them; she felt that the end of Kira was finally coming, but she didn't want anything to happen to Light. She didn't care about what happened to Kira...but she cared about what would happen to Light. Would he be himself again...or would he be corrupted still until the day he died…?

  
        L nodded shortly. "...Let's go back inside. We're all drenched."

  
        "Yeah," Light commented. He wrapped his arm around Sakae and started pulling her back inside with him. L grabbed Kohaku's hand and they both followed behind Sakae and Light.

* * *

        Light, Sakae, Kohaku, and L were on a staircase. Light and Sakae were sitting beside each other; Light was drying off his hair with his towel while Sakae had her towel wrapped around her head completely. Kohaku was standing in front of them, somewhat, and she was slowly drying off her hair; she wasn't acting normal at all. L was standing behind Light and Sakae, his towel laying on his head.

  
        "Well, that was certainly an unpleasant outing…" L commented.

  
        "It's your own fault. I mean, what did you expect?" Light rolled his eyes.

  
        "You're right. Sorry," L apologized.

  
        Sakae looked at Kohaku. Her eyes widened as she noticed something she hadn't noticed earlier but should have: Kohaku looked paler than usual and she just seemed plain exhausted & stressed out. "K-Kohaku, are you okay?"

  
        "...Hm…?" Kohaku looked towards her. She nodded slowly. "Yeah… Just really tired and stuff, ya know?" She lost her balance and nearly fell over, but she didn't. She blinked when she noticed that Light and Sakae had both jumped up and grabbed onto her before she was even halfway to falling to the floor. "You guys move fast…" She spotted L behind the two of them; he had moved to help her too but Light and Sakae beat him to it since they were closer.

  
        "Don't want you to get hurt," Sakae commented. Light nodded in agreement.

  
        "Good job," L commented.

  
        Kohaku smiled a tiny bit. All of them were worried; she had brought out Light's original personality, even though it was just momentarily. She was happy to know Light really was still there deep down, just like Sakae said...though that wasn't going to stop her whenever she was pissed off because then she'd just simply beat the shit out of him for everything that he had done and was going to do. "I'm fine… I told you, I'm just really tired and stuff."

  
        "Maybe it would be a good idea for you to sit down," Sakae suggested.

  
        Kohaku nodded. "'Kay..." Kohaku moved over to sit down on one of the steps with L, Light, and Sakae all hovering around her, ready to catch her if needed. She literally looked like she was close to passing out any damn second. As soon as Kohaku was sitting down, Light and Sakae sat on either side of her. Kohaku laid her head on Sakae's shoulder.

  
        "Kohaku…" Sakae was unsure if Kohaku was going to be okay or not. She just had a feeling Kohaku wasn't being completely truthful about just being tired and 'stuff'.

  
        "I'm okay, really." Kohaku closed her eyes. "Let me just...rest my eyes for a minute."

  
        Light was torn. He didn't particularly like Kohaku now because he was Kira again but he also couldn't ignore his feelings of concern towards her. He watched Sakae and Kohaku. The two girls were still his best friends but everything was different now, very different.

  
        "Are you sure you are alright?" L asked Kohaku, staring at her in concern.

  
        "Yeah. I swear I am just really tired. I'll go to our room in a few minutes to rest. Promise," Kohaku told him, reopening her eyes, moving her head off Sakae's shoulder, and grinning at L tiredly. L stared at her for a few seconds, his facial expression completely blank. He pulled the towel off of his head and he moved to crouch in front of Kohaku. He placed the towel on her head. Kohaku blinked in slight confusion. "Hm…?"

  
        "Your hair's still wet," L stated, trying to dry off Kohaku's hair to the best of his ability.

  
        Kohaku blinked again before half-smiling. "...Thanks, I guess." L nodded slightly and once Kohaku's hair was dry enough, he removed the towel from her hair and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Kohaku blushed slightly at the sudden affection but grinned a tad; just because she was tired as fuck didn't mean she couldn't laugh, blush, or smile/grin. Sakae smiled a tiny bit at the tiny moment the lovely couple just had.

  
        Light stopped watching them and started to dry off his hair with his own towel. As he did so, he closed his eyes. " _Dammit, why did I even come up here?"_  Light felt someone grab ahold of his foot and opened his eyes. He jumped a tad when he saw L at his feet. "Huh? What are you doing?!" Sakae and Kohaku were watching curiously, snickering a bit at Light jumping from his startlement of seeing L at his feet. The girls remained silent to see how everything would play out.

  
        "I thought I might help you out. You were busy wiping yourself off, anyway," L commented and stated.

  
        Light stammered a bit. "L-Look, it's fine! You don't have to do that!" He wasn't comfortable with L helping him out...at all.

  
        "I can give you a massage as well. It's the least I can do to atone for my sins. I'm actually pretty good at this," L said. He waited for Light to reply. The girls watched in wonder...and surprise that L offered Light a foot massage.

  
        Light looked away from L, moving his line of sight to the left so that he wasn't looking at anyone but the wall. "...Fine, do what you want."

  
        "Alright." L had his towel over his hand, his other hand holding Light's right foot. He pressed his towel-covered hand against the bottom of Light's foot and began to give him the foot massage.

  
        Light grunted. It kind of hurt. "Hey!"

  
        "You'll get used to it," L told him, continuing to massage Light's foot. The girls just stared at them. A few drops of water dripped from L's hair and onto Light's leg.

  
        "Here." Light picked up his towel and began to dry off L's hair. "You're still soaked."

  
        L looked up at Light for a second before looking back down at Light's foot. "I'm sorry."

  
        For about three minutes, there was complete silence. L continued to massage Light's foot, the girls continued to stare as thoughts began to fill their heads and Light was avoiding eye contact with L and the girls. The whole situation was just...plain awkward. The silence was suddenly broken when Kohaku started to giggle uncontrollably; her reaction towards the sudden foot massage ordeal between Light and L was finally surfacing. Sakae stared wide eyed at the two guys and covered her nose with her hand as blood began to drip from her nose.

  
        Light and L both looked towards the girls. L was curious as to why Kohaku was suddenly laughing but Light, however, was the one to ask, "Are you two okay?"

  
        Sakae smiled awkwardly. "Perfectly fine," she commented while still keeping her nose covered.

  
        Kohaku continued to giggle. "You...Y-You guys...You guys look so gay right now!" Her giggles became loud laughing as she looked at Sakae and noticed that Sakae was basically holding her nose and trying to hide the evidence of her nosebleed. "Oh my gosh! Sakae! What the hell?!" Kohaku laughed more. As she laughed, L moved from Light's feet and stood, a small grin on his face as he watched Kohaku laugh. He loved to hear her laugh and he felt some of his worry vanishing. He didn't speak still, letting the happy moment last while it could.

  
        "It's not my fault!" Sakae yelled and put her hands up in defense, revealing the stream of blood dripping from her nose. "Shit!" Sakae scrambled to pull out a tissue from her pocket and proceed to wipe her nose. "Shut up."

  
        Light stared at Sakae for a moment. "Just what in the world are you thinking about?" he asked her.

  
        "N-Nothing," Sakae answered, looking away from the guys.

  
        "Obviously it has to be something perverted," Kohaku stated, laughing still. She wiped tears that were running down her cheeks. "I-I've never laughed this hard before. Holy shit."

  
        "I was not!" Sakae defended.

  
        "Then explain your nosebleed." Kohaku smirked at her, snickering while doing so.

  
        "I have no idea," Sakae answered.

  
        "You were thinking something perverted. End of discussion." Kohaku giggled some more before her laughing and giggling died down completely. " _Mmm… That was nice while it lasted._ "

  
        "I never thought that you would have a mind of a pervert, Sakae." Light smirked.

  
        "I swear I wasn't thinking anything like that!" Sakae exclaimed, pouting some more. "I don't have a perverted mind…"

  
        "Surrrre," Kohaku said, rolling her eyes. She yawned a bit and rubbed one of her eyes.

  
        It got quiet for a minute. L chose to speak. "It'll be lonely, won't it?"

  
        "Hm?" Light, Kohaku, and Sakae questioned, looking at L.

  
        L looked at Light, then Sakae, and then back to Light. "We will be parting ways soon."

  
        "Huh…" Light stared at him with a surprised-ish look on his face. Kohaku stared at L, wondering which way he had meant that: was he going to die soon or was Light/Kira going to be caught? Sakae just sighed and frowned a little.

  
        L's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it. "Yes? ..I understand. I'm on my way." L hung up the phone. "Come on, let's go. It seems like it's all worked out."

  
        "...You three go on ahead. I'm just...I'm just gonna stay here for a bit before I head to rest in the room," Kohaku said softly, looking at the floor.

  
        "Will you be alright by yourself?" L asked her.

  
        Kohaku looked at him and nodded. She showed no emotion on her face and the smile she sent L had no emotion to it either. Something was wrong again. Something was definitely not right. "Yeah."

  
        "Text me if you need help with getting to your room," Sakae said. "I don't want you falling and hurting yourself." Kohaku didn't say anything but nodded shortly, looking at the floor again.

  
        L and Sakae walked off reluctantly with Light following behind them. Kohaku watched them as they left. Many things were going on in her head. The feeling of something bad happening soon was getting stronger for her. She had to find Rem. She felt like she had to find Rem. As soon as Light, L, and Sakae were long gone, Kohaku got up and began to search for Rem quickly. She searched many room before she finally spotted Rem inside a room near the large surveillance one. Her eyes widened in fear as she noticed that Rem had her Death Note in her hand and a pencil out.

  
        "Don't!" Kohaku exclaimed. She knew who Rem was about to kill.

  
        Rem looked at Kohaku. "L must die or Misa will die."

  
        Kohaku shook her head. "No! Rem, you can't kill him! The world needs him!" She needed him.

  
        "He cannot live. If he lives, Misa will be caught and she will killed. I don't want that to happen," Rem told her.

  
        "...You love Misa, right?" Kohaku asked her. She was getting desperate. L couldn't die. He couldn't.

  
        "...Yes." Rem stared at Kohaku. "Why are you asking me this?"

  
        "I...I love L with all my heart! You can't take him from me!" Kohaku started to cry. She dropped to her knees by Rem. "P-Please don't kill L. I can't live without him! I can't..." She knew that Rem had a weak spot for love. Love was something that Rem liked a lot. She had to use her love for L as an advantage...or at least try to.

  
        "That is not enough to convince me," Rem stated. Though love was her weakness, she cared about her love for Misa far more than Kohaku's love for L. "He will still cause Misa to die."

  
        "Damn it, Rem, please!" Kohaku cried out, tears streaming down her face. "...Kill me instead then! Take my life! All of it, half of it, I don't care! L and Watari are both needed in this world far more than I am! Kill me!" She didn't mind dying if it meant L could live... She didn't know what to say to Rem to keep her from killing L. She was speaking her mind. She couldn't function right with all the stress and lack of sleep blocking her from thinking straight.

  
        "..." Rem did not answer. Still wasn't good enough. Even if Kohaku died, L would still cause Misa's death.

  
        "I'll... I'll leave a note or something telling everyone that Misa's innocent or whatever if you do kill me! I'll leave something behind so Misa won't die! I can text Sakae right now and ask her to figure out how to keep Misa from dying and to prevent you from killing L & Watari! I'll find a way to have Misa live in exchange that you keep L alive and you can't kill Watari either! Please, Rem!" Kohaku begged, rambling on and on, trying to say something that would appease Rem. Rem did not respond. She stared at Kohaku for a moment before writing down a name into her Death Note. "No!" Kohaku yelled, crying more. "Rem, no...!" Kohaku let out a gasp as Rem turned her Death Note towards Kohaku, letting her see the name she had written inside the Death Note...

* * *

        Light, Sakae, and L entered the large surveillance room. Everyone in the room looked towards them.

  
        "Ryuzaki! What's the meaning of all this?! You've somehow gone for approval from another country to use the notebook for an execution!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        L, Sakae, and Light were soon by everyone. Sakae stood by her brother while Light stood behind L as L sat down in his chair. "Watari, excellent work. Thank you," L said, looking at the W signia on the computer screen in front of him.

  
        "Not at all," Watari responded.

  
        "First things first, please make arrangements to transport the notebook immediately," L said.

  
        "Right," Watari responded.

  
        "Ryuzaki, what are you trying to do?" Light asked.

  
        L picked up a spoon and pointed it at the Death Note. "I'm gonna try out the notebook fully."

  
        Everyone gasped. Apparently, no one expected he'd want to do such a thing.

  
        "What?!" Sakae exclaimed in shock.

  
        "You can't be serious, Ryuzaki!" Ryuichi yelled.

  
        "We can't do that! And there is no point in testing it now where we already know that the notebook's power is real!" Aizawa exclaimed.

  
        "And besides, who's gonna write the name? If someone starts writing in the notebook, they'll have to obey the 13-day rule and keep writing names forever!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "It's already been worked out. The person who will write in the book is a criminal scheduled to be executed in just over 13 days. If he's still alive, 13 days after writing the name, he'll be pardoned from execution," L told everyone. Matsuda gasped again.

  
        "But still, to sacrifice a-" Mr. Yagami was cut off by L.

  
        "We are very close! If we work this out, the entire case will be solved," L told him and the others.

  
        Sakae didn't want that to happen. She wanted to try and prevent it somehow. She looked around the room and noticed that Rem was not in the room. "Wait, where's Rem?" Everyone became distracted.  
  
        "The Shinigami was in here earlier," Matsuda said, looking around.  
  
        "Where's Kohaku?" Mr. Yagami asked Sakae and Light. "She was with you earlier, wasn't she?"  
  
        "She said she was going to head to her room after she sat by herself for a bit," Light stated.  
  
        "You don't think the Shinigami would harm her, do you?" Aizawa questioned.  
  
        "It...seems unlikely," Sakae said. "B-But we should go check on her and make sure she's safe."  
  
        "Yeah, we should," Ryuichi commented.  
  
        "There's no reason for all of us to go check on Kohaku," Light said, rolling his eyes a tad.  
  
        "Sakae, you may go check on Kohaku. If she is not at the staircase, she will be in the room as you stated," L said. He placed his thumb to his mouth. " _Something doesn't seem right..."_  
  
        Sakae headed on of the room. It took her some time but she got to the staircase she had been at earlier and didn't see Kohaku. She headed to the room Kohaku and L shared but Kohaku wasn't there either. Sakae tried not the panic. She started to search all of the rooms. She couldn't, however, hold back her scream as she finally found Kohaku. "KOHAKU!" She stared at the woman in question, tears welling up in her eyes. She dared not more forward, afraid to learn a possible horrible truth. She heard footsteps and the sound of running. In no time, the men were by her.  
  
        "Sakae, what's wrong?" Ryuichi asked her.  
  
        Sakae didn't say anything. She just pointed towards what laid before her eyes. The men looked and they saw what Sakae had seen: Kohaku was laying on the ground at Rem's feet and she was not moving from what they could tell...


	27. Truth Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originality strikes and strikes hard!

        Sakae, Ryuichi, Light, L, Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, Aizawa, and Mogi all crowded into the room, staring at Kohaku who was laying on the floor very lifelessly with Rem standing by her still. They were all feeling different emotions. Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda, and Mogi just stood there in shock and with some fear filling their very being, the same thought running through their minds: Was Kohaku dead and if so, who killed her?

  
        Ryuichi stared at the seemingly lifeless Kohaku. "What the hell happened?" he whispered to himself. Sakae had been in shock when she first spotted Kohaku; now, she was crying and she didn't say a word.

  
        Light looked between Kohaku's body and the crying Sakae. "Did...why did she do this?" he asked quietly. " _Was it because of me?_ " he thought to himself.

  
        L stared at Kohaku, neither moving nor thinking. He just stared at what seemed to be a lifeless Kohaku. "W-Why?" he muttered softly. He had to be having a nightmare... This couldn't be real...

  
        They all stood there of a moment...

  
        Then, while the task-force men and Ryuichi stayed put, either still shocked or confused about what happened, L, Sakae, and Light quickly went to surround Kohaku. They all dropped to the ground by her. L lifted Kohaku up and placed her in his arms, somewhat cradling her.

  
        "Who could do such a thing?" Sakae glanced towards Light but shook her head, knowing that he wouldn't. She sobbed some more. "S-She couldn't have done this to herself...right?!"

  
        "What could have happened...?" Light asked. No one could answer that but Rem and Kohaku...however, Rem wasn't talking and Kohaku wasn't awake...and possibly not even alive anymore...

  
        L waited for a moment. He looked at Kohaku with a little bit of awe; she was breathing slightly. "She is still alive," he stated. He held her slightly tighter.

  
        Sakae's eyes widened along with the task-force men's eyes and Ryuichi's eyes. "S-She is?!" She waited for L to repeat what he said but he just nodded. She let out a cry of joy and relief. "Thank God... She's okay..."

  
        "She must've passed out," Light suggested. "She looked so exhausted earlier."

  
        "That is more than likely the cause," L said.

  
        As the men moved out of the way as Light took Kohaku from L's arms and carried her out of the room, followed by L and Sakae, all that were on their minds were if Kohaku was going to be okay. What could have possibly happened while Kohaku was with Rem...?

* * *

        It was November 6th. Kohaku groaned a bit and opened her eyes slightly before opening them all the way. She took a look at her surroundings. She wasn't on the floor anymore. She was in the room she shared with L. She was laying in the bed. She was surprised she wasn't in the hospital but then again, all she did was pass out from stress and exhaustion...and not from something really serious. Still, she was surprised they didn't take her to the hospital. She slowly sat up and spotted L sitting in a chair near the bed. He was in his usual position and his eyes were closed, possibly sleeping...though that was very unlikely.

  
        "...L?" Kohaku questioned.

  
        L opened his eyes slightly and looked in the direction of Kohaku. "You're awake?"

  
        "...Y-Yeah." Kohaku half smiled and tears began to form in her eyes. "Y-Yeah…" She was happy...and she was sad for many different reasons...

  
        L got up and walked over to Kohaku. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he sat on the bed.

  
        Kohaku fought the tears that were threatening to fall. "I-It's nothing…" She didn't want to reveal something to him...but found it hard to keep it a secret from him.

  
        L pulled Kohaku into a hug. "Obviously something is wrong if you are close to crying."

  
        Kohaku stayed quiet for a moment as L hugged her before she finally let herself cry. "...Please don't hate me..." she whispered into his ear. She closed her eyes for a moment. If she was going to tell him everything, it might as well be right then...because her fate had already been sealed. "...Light is Kira. You were right...the whole time."

  
        "W-What?" L looked dumbfounded has he took in what Kohaku had just said. "Light was really Kira?"

  
        "He still is..." Kohaku whispered, tears going down her cheeks slowly.

  
        "Then, I was...or am right about everything?" he asked. Kohaku nodded shortly, not saying a word. "That means, you and Sakae helped Light?"

  
        Kohaku hesitated before answering. "...Yes… We helped him at first...and when you had Light in that cell for a while, we were helping him out of friendship… We don't want him to be Kira anymore… He's changed so much, L…"

  
        "Everything makes sense now." L hugged Kohaku more. "Thank you for telling me."

  
        "...Y-You aren't mad at me…?" Kohaku pulled out of the hug and stared at him, still crying.

  
        "There is no reason for me to be mad at you," L admitted. "So why would I be mad?"

  
        "Light wasn't going to use it...but Sakae and I convinced him to take it so no one else could get their hands on it. I suggested that a name be written inside the Death Note...so Light did so and after the second time, Light and I both wanted to keep killing criminals while Sakae only choice to help because we are her closest friends," Kohaku told him.

  
        "I see," L thought for a moment. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

  
        "...Yeah..." Kohaku nodded a little, close to crying more. "...Rem was going to kill you and Watari."

  
        "S-She was? Why?" L asked.

  
        "...She has her reasons. I can't tell you everything right this second but I will tell you as much as I can...when I can... That's not really the important thing right this moment..." Kohaku looked away from L. "...I'm sorry..." She started to cry more. She had never cried so much in front of L before or maybe she had but she can't recall any of that.

  
        "It's okay." L pulled Kohaku into his arms again and tried to comfort her.

  
        "No, it isn't. L… I only have several more years to be with you before I die," Kohaku revealed to him. "I pretty much sacrificed my life for yours and Watari's… "

  
        "Wait, what?!" L yelled. L wasn't one to yell but this new information came as a shock and as horror to him.

  
        "I told you before, dying in place of someone else is...is fine but...now I'm sad that we don't have a very long time to be together…" Kohaku said.

  
        "But why would you do that?" L asked. He couldn't believe this was happening...

  
        "Because I didn't want either of you to die, L!" Kohaku yelled. She sniffled and wiped some of her tears.

  
        "But you didn't need to sacrifice your life for mine," L told her.

  
        "I couldn't think of any other way to keep you alive along with Watari!" Kohaku yelled a bit more.

  
        "There could have been another way!" L yelled back.  
  
        "I was feeling a shit load of emotions at the time, Lawliet!" Kohaku yelled as began to cry even more now. "I didn't want you to die...and now I am going to die..."  
  
        L didn't say anything for a moment. He asked her hesitatingly, "How long?"  
  
        "Seven years from now...minus maybe a day," Kohaku stated. "Hey...it's not long but we'll make it last while we can, right?"  
  
        L didn't say anything. He just wrapped his arms around Kohaku tightly...and nodded shortly as he buried his face in her shoulder. He was heart-broken. The only woman he ever loved was going to be taken from him in just seven years...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instead of the 23 days rule ("Death Note can only operate with a 23 day window"), we made it where there is no limit for this reason right here. Kohaku was going to die from the beginning. I already knew it. I wasn't sure how exactly she'd die but decided that it would be due to sacrificing herself. We allowed Rem to let Kohaku keep 7 years of life because Rem likes love and she did not want to end their love too soon...but she also didn't give a shit and only cared about Misa staying alive.


	28. Betrayal and Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of original stuff!

        It was still November the 6th. After learning from Kohaku that Light has been Kira the whole time, L had called a meeting. Everyone, minus L and Kohaku, were standing around in some kind of meeting room that was somewhere in their facility, waiting for L to say what he needed to tell them. Kohaku was the only one, probably, that knew exactly what L was going to talk about. L sat at the front of the room in his chair, facing everybody. "You may have wondered why I called you here." There were sounds of agreement amongst the members in the room. Sakae just looked around, feeling uneasy. Light had his arm crossed, already ready for the meeting to be over. Ryuichi waited patiently for L to continue speaking. Kohaku didn't say anything, looking down at her feet as she sat in her seat, in her curled up position, quietly. "It is to say one thing: Kira has been revealed to me."

  
        "Seriously?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

  
        "About time," Ryuichi mumbled under his breath.

  
        "Ryuzaki, who is Kira?" Mr. Yagami asked.

  
        L took a small breath and began to speak. "Kira is... Light Yagami."

  
        "Impossible!" Mr. Yagami yelled. "I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FOR A SECOND!" He was pissed. L was once again accusing his son. Mr. Yagami hadn't asked if L had evidence; he (Mr. Yagami) was sure that Light was not Kira because Light is his son and what parent would want to hear that their kid was killing people?

  
        Matsuda, Mogi, and Aizawa stared in shock at L and Light. They were confused as well. How could Light be Kira? How was it possible? How did he figure it out? It was impossible for Light to be Kira after all they have been through, right? Those were all the questions going through each of their heads. Watari remained quiet as he listened and watched, not questioning L's accusation; it was more than likely not false this time.

  
        Ryuichi was shocked for a moment; he looked at Light and then he pulled Sakae away from Light. Light had been accused quite a few times already but Ryuichi had always felt Light was trouble and since L seemed to have some good evidence maybe, Ryuichi was going to take his word for it that Light was Kira. Sakae was shocked but began to grow scared as the situation began to grow bigger and stronger. Some shit was most definitely going to go down soon.

  
        "What?" Light looked around slightly, hiding the fact that he, Kira, was nervous. He began to feel the uncertainty of his future, what would happen to him now, and who revealed to L that he was Kira. "Are you sure your source is credible, Ryuzaki? They seem to not know their facts."

  
        Kohaku wasn't going to speak...until she heard that. "I know my facts just fine."

  
        Light looked over at Kohaku. "What was that?" he asked.

  
        "I told L everything, Light. Stop trying to act as if you aren't Kira." Kohaku glared at Light. She was expecting him to try and deny everything, making her hope that Sakae will come into the conversation soon if he does so.

  
        "Where are your claims coming from, Kohaku?" Light asked. He was going to act as if everything was false, just as Kohaku had expected.

  
        "She's telling the truth." Everyone turned to see Sakae standing in front of Ryuichi. "Everything Kohaku told you, L, whatever that may be, is most likely true. I stood there and watched my world crumble because of that book."

  
        Light looked dumbfounded as he watched Sakae reveal everything. "What are you doing?!" He couldn't deny anything now. Sakae was completely trustworthy, minus when she had to lie to keep Light, Kohaku, and herself safe, and everyone had no reason to not believe her, except for maybe if they were in denial.

  
        Sakae looked at Light. "What I should have done long ago." Sakae faced L. "Light is Kira and... Kohaku and I helped him," she confessed. Kohaku had told L the same thing earlier that day.

  
        Kohaku nodded. She started revealing things to those who didn't know. "We did help him… But we never wrote down a name. We only helped him get criminal names. When he killed the FBI agents, we didn't help him get names anymore. We did help him when he had lied saying he could be Kira subconsciously. I wish we didn't but it's too late for that… We're sorry about all of this. We wish we didn't do this, especially me. I'm the one who suggested taking the book back to Light's in the first place."

  
        "Just shut up already!" Light yelled.

  
        "Fuck you, Light!" Kohaku yelled at him. "You can't go to Heaven or Hell since you wrote in the fucking book! You deserve it! I hope you spend eternity in nothingness!"

  
        "I'm... I'm sorry for everything," Sakae said to everybody. "It would have been much easier had we revealed it sooner than this."

  
        " _And I wouldn't die in seven years..."_ Kohaku thought. " _I can't let Light or Sakae know this. I can't let them know... Maybe I'll end up passing from an illness while I sleep... Who knows what is actually going to cause me to die peacefully in my sleep, to be honest."_ Kohaku, currently, is not afraid of dying. What will she be thinking when her seven years are almost up? Would she be afraid then?

  
        Ryuichi stared shocked at Sakae for a moment. "Why, Sakae?"

  
        Sakae looked towards Ryuichi with a sullen face. She couldn't look her brother in the eyes, especially with what he now knew. "I...I didn't want to betray my friends. Besides you, they are all I had." She looked down at the ground.

  
        "Was it about revenge with what happened to Mom and Dad?" Ryuichi asked.

  
        "Never," she said while still looking towards the ground. "I never seeked revenge against any of them. I...never wanted to be a part of any of it," Sakae confessed. Ryuichi looked from Sakae to Light with anger written among his face. He clenched his fist to keep from erupting; Light made her be a part of something horrible and he was never going to forgive him for it.

  
        Matsuda looked at Light. "All this time, Kira was…" Fear began to appear in his eyes. Mogi stared at Light with fear and disbelief while Aizawa was frozen from shock. Watari remained quiet has he watched the situation unfold.

  
        Mr. Yagami looked at his son. "This...this can't be true; this can't be happening! Tell me, Light! Tell me it isn't true." Mr. Yagami waited for Light to answer but Light stayed silent. "Then...it is true. Why? Why would you do this, Light?"

  
        "Isn't it obvious?" Light stood in front of everyone. "I wanted to create the perfect world where no one would be afraid and only good people would survive. I would be a God in this world I would create with Sakae as my Goddess."

  
        "The world will always be imperfect, Light! Your vision was stupid and your decisions were reckless!" Kohaku yelled.

  
        "Says the person who wanted me to go through with it! Both you and I agreed it was a good idea!" Light yelled back. He moved closer to where Kohaku was sitting.

  
        "Before you started killing innocent people!" Kohaku yelled more, getting out of her seat. "I wish I never even agreed to killing criminals! I wish we just threw the Death Note somewhere or hide it and then had Ryuk erase our memories, if that would have even worked!" She moved towards Light.

  
        "Sacrifices needed to be made! I was helping these people!" Light yelled. By this point, Light and Kohaku were in each other's faces.

  
        "By causing more death!" Kohaku yelled. "It's bad enough that a lot of people die every day but because of you, everyone is living in fear that if they do one little thing wrong, the big bad Kira is gonna kill 'em!"

  
        "I rather everyone live in fear than be dead!" Light yelled. "I was making the world perfect!"

  
        "You said that already!" Kohaku glared at him. He did sort of say that already. Sort of. "Why don't you just go fuck yourself, Light?! Sakae and I wanted you to stop but you let the Death Note corrupt you! We wanted you to give up on it but you wanted to continue! This dream of yours is over, Light! Kira's reign of terror is over and you are going to rot in prison where you fucking belong!" She swung her fist as quickly as possible, hitting Light right in the cheek.

  
        Light staggered backwards and glared at Kohaku. He rubbed his cheek as Kohaku headed to the chair she had been sitting in. "I don't want to hurt you, Kohaku," he stated as calmly as he could, despite that he was still extremely pissed that everything was ruined.

  
        "Then I guess I am going to win this fight, aren't I?!" Kohaku yelled. She grabbed her chair and quickly tossed it right at Light. Light barely dodged it and the task-force men who had been standing a little ways behind him had to quickly dodge out of the way as the chair came towards them.

  
        "Please, don't fight!" Sakae exclaimed. She never wanted this to happen...

  
        "I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!" Kohaku shouted as she ran at Light. Light got ready. Kohaku got to him and started swinging her fists, left and right. Light dodged as many as he could, returning the attempted hits with ones of his own; he didn't give a shit about hitting a girl, not while he was this pissed off. Quickly enough, their fight became similar to one of the few fights Light had with L...when he wasn't Kira and Kohaku seemed to be winning, causing bruises on Light's face and making his nose bleed slightly; Light had left a few marks on her as well but she was not bleeding since he was hardly aiming for her face, aiming everywhere else instead. Some the task-force men, Matsuda and Aizawa, attempted to try and pull the two a part but it only resulted in them getting an elbow to the face.

  
        "Shit." Matsuda fell on his ass from the impact.

  
        "We need to pull them apart!" Mr. Yagami yelled.

  
        "Please, stop!" Sakae yelled, running over to her fighting friends, pulling them away from each other and stepping in between them.

  
        "Get out of the way!" Light roughly pushed Sakae aside and commenced choking Kohaku, slamming her into the wall they were near as he did so.

  
        "Light, no!" Sakae yelled.

  
        Kohaku was struggling to get Light off of her. Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, Aizawa, and Ryuichi all moved to pull Light off her and Aizawa quickly handcuffed Light. L and Watari went over to Kohaku as she coughed a bit and held onto her throat lightly.

  
        "Are you alright?" L asked. "I'm sorry for not stepping in."

  
        "It's fine. I wasn't expecting him to fucking choke me." Kohaku rubbed her neck. "Fucker has a grip, I give him that."  
  
        "It's about time someone put those damned cuffs on him!" Ryuichi exclaimed, crossing his arms angrily. Sakae rubbed his arm softly when she went over to him.

  
        "I'll kill you!" Light yelled at Kohaku. The entire time, the Kira personality Light had was surfaced; the old Light nowhere near the surface.

  
        "My fate has already been sealed, Light," Kohaku stated. She glared at him with so much hatred. "I hope you have fun in prison. Better yet, I hope Ryuk writes down your name in his Death Note just like he always wanted." Light glared at Kohaku as he was dragged out of the room by Matsuda, Mogi, and Aizawa; yes, the three of them had to take him out of there together due to his struggling.

  
        "...What did you mean when you said that your fate was already sealed...?" Sakae asked Kohaku.

  
        "I was just saying things," Kohaku lied. Sakae didn't need to know the truth. It would just hurt her...

  
        "...Okay," Sakae replied. She frowned. Deep down, she had a feeling Kohaku was lying to her for a good reason. She wasn't going to make Kohaku tell her anything she didn't want to reveal...even though she really wanted to know what was going on...


	29. All Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter with original stuff!

        It's November 11th. Five days have gone by since Light's arrest. Sakae sat on her bed, leaning on the wall. A small sigh escaped the young girl. Reflecting on the events passed, Sakae began to wish for her old life before the Death Note dropped into their life. "Why did it have to end like this?" she asked herself, pulling her legs to her chest. Something was up with Kohaku and now Light was in prison. Unless there was some miracle, he wouldn't be getting out anytime soon. Light was lucky enough that she convinced Ryuk to not write down his name in the Death Note by bribing him with apples since he really fucking loved apples.

  
        "I wonder when Kohaku is going to show up." Sakae looked out her window where she looked towards the sky. The window felt cold to the touch and the sky looked mainly dark minus the few beautiful stars that were shining brightly.

  
        "Sakae?" Sakae turned to see Ryuichi standing in the door frame of her room. He was frowning in her direction. "Are you okay? You've been down lately," he pointed out. Her older brother walked into her room and sat on the bed.

  
        "Nothing's wrong. It's just…everything is flipped upside down. With Kohaku, there is something she won't tell me and something tells me she and L may be leaving here soon," she told Ryuichi. Kohaku had mentioned it a few times to her during the whole Kira bullshit.

  
        Ryuichi looked confused as he looked at his little sister. "Leaving?"

  
        Sakae gave him a quick nod. "Yeah," she answered quickly. Getting up, Sakae crawled off her bed and stretched her arms to the ceiling as a small mew escaped her. "I'm getting a little hungry," she stated randomly. She left the room with Ryuichi getting off of her bed to follow her.

  
        "Do you want to go shopping or something? Maybe that will make you feel better." Ryuichi scratched his hair. "I've heard that makes girls feel better."

  
        Sakae gave a quick shook of her head. "Not with me," she confessed while walking towards the kitchen. She opened the fridge door and began to examine the contents inside. "Ooh." With some cheesecake catching her eye, Sakae pulled the cake out. "When did you get this?" she asked as Ryuichi finally walked into the kitchen.

  
        "Not too long ago. I was in the mood for some." Ryuichi watched his little sister get a piece of cake before placing it back in the fridge. "Don't take all of it now."

  
        "I might have to then," Sakae joked, taking a seat at the dining room table. Ryuichi sat down next to her. The television was on with a news report on telling of a recent event. The two siblings listened to it as they thought about their parts in it. Ryuichi, mainly there for his sister, didn't really want any part of it. Sakae, she only wanted to keep her life the same but in the end, that never happened. The Death Note changed everything; the way she thought of her life after, her friendships, and her future.

  
        "Ryuichi?" Sakae quietly looked at her brother. "D-Do you think Light is going to be okay?"

  
        "I…" Ryuichi remained quiet for a moment has he tried to think of how to phase his response. "I honestly don't know, Sakae. Light did some terrible things. So, only God knows what is going to happen to him."

  
        Sakae nodded. They went quiet. Sakae finished her cake then pushed the plate away. " _I…I miss him_ ," she thought. " _I miss everything_." A knock suddenly sounded throughout the apartment. Ryuichi looked over at Sakae who was getting up from her seat. "Let's see if my feeling was right," she said to herself as she went over to the door and opened it.

* * *

        Kohaku was curled up on the bed she and L shared inside of the facility; something she tended to do sometimes. She had already informed her parents that she was leaving with her boyfriend (L) to England in December. Her parents had been quite surprised but were happy to hear that Kohaku was ready to go out on her own and be with the one she loves; other parents probably would've been like "Hell no!" or just simply said "No!" but her parents weren't those kind of parents. They were, of course, going to miss her terribly.

  
        Now... Kohaku was thinking about...telling Sakae that Rem wrote her (Kohaku) name inside a Death Note...and that she was leaving, though she was sure that Sakae knew she'd be leaving with L once everything was over…and everything is currently over with Kira...

  
        "What the fuck am I gonna do…?" Kohaku mumbled to herself. "Maybe I shouldn't tell her… We're gonna forget everything anyways…" It was decided that the Death Note would be given up and given back to its rightful owner...so Sakae, Light, and herself were going to forget that they were a part of everything that happened; the girls wouldn't remember that Light was Kira once again and Light wasn't going to know that he had been Kira once again… So what was the point in her telling Sakae she was gonna die in seven years when they were gonna lose their memory of the Death Note...the next day? " _Hell, I think I am the only one who knows about the giving up the Death Note thing. L and I were gonna go see Light...and try to get him to give it up. If he doesn't, I could try it. I mean...somehow, Sakae, Light, and I are all its owners. But Light's the main owner so it probably won't work, maybe. This is so complicated…_ "

  
        Kohaku got off the bed, grabbing a hoodie that was laying on it and putting it on. She headed out of the room, down the many stairs, and out of the facility. She headed to Sakae's. Even if they were gonna possibly lose their memories if Light could be convinced of giving up the Death Note, she wanted to get the information off her chest; it made her so…uncomfortable. Sakae's home was quite some distance away from the facility but it wasn't too far away. As Kohaku walked, she admired the few stars in the sky. Why she had finally decided to say something to Sakae at such a late time was beyond her.

  
        In just several more weeks or so, Kohaku would be off to England with L; all her things were packed and ready to go, though she didn't have much to begin with. Soon, Kohaku was standing in front of the door of Sakae's place. She hesitantly lifted her hand, made a fist, and knocked on the door. It was now or never…

  
        Sakae opened the apartment, coming face to face to Kohaku. She looked at her friend before pulling her into a hug. Kohaku blinked a few times, a tad surprised by the sudden hug, and then smiled, hugging her back. "Hey," Kohaku said, softly.

  
        "Come on in!" Sakae pulled Kohaku into the apartment.

  
        Ryuichi saw Kohaku and waved. "Hey, Kohaku."

  
        Kohaku looked at Ryuichi, placing her hands in her hoodie pockets. "You look like you're high."

  
        Ryuichi glared a little bit before shaking his head. "Still the same Kohaku, I see," he said before going into the kitchen.

  
        Sakae pulled Kohaku over to the dining room table. "Want anything to drink?" she asked.

  
        Kohaku shook her head lightly. "No thanks… I just came to tell you something…" She remained standing up instead of sitting in a chair.

  
        Sakae sat down. "I have a feeling I know what it is."

  
        Kohaku blinked in surprise. Did she already know that she had a limited time to live? "Oh?"

  
        "Go ahead and tell me," Sakae said.

  
        Kohaku avoided telling her straight away, just to be sure that wasn't what she knew about. "Um...well...you know how I had planned to leave with L once...that shit was over. Well, I officially decided that…I am leaving with him and we're gonna be leaving in December so I can...spend some more time with you and my parents." This was correct. She knew that once she left, she probably would never see them again but would just hear from them via phone calls.

  
        Sakae nodded. "I had a feeling you were but there is something else you need to tell me, isn't there?" Kohaku nodded, biting her lip. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Sakae added, grinning sweetly.

  
        "...Rem wrote my name in her Death Note," Kohaku revealed, no longer able to keep this fact hidden from Sakae and just hesitantly blurting it out.

  
        "W-What?" Sakae stared shocked at her friend. "Then how are you not…?"

  
        "She, um, ...she gave me...seven years to be alive. It...happened that day I was found passed out." Kohaku lifted her right hand to her face, wiping a tear off her cheek that had managed to slip from her eyes. "I...didn't want you to know. I don't like to make you sad...but I couldn't handle the fact that I was hiding this and I just...I needed to tell you."

  
        "Kohaku…" Sakae looked down. "Why?"

  
        "...I didn't want L and Watari to die… Rem was going to kill them but I managed to stop her...by letting her put my name down instead." Kohaku paused for a moment. "She wanted Misa to remain alive and safe, which she is. I talked to her yesterday… Always so damn cheerful and...yandere-like." Kohaku absentmindedly placed her right hand over one of Sakae's hands.

  
        "You're right on that one," Sakae agreed. "I'm...going to miss you, Kohaku." Sakae was trying to hold back her tears, wanting to be brave in front of her friend.

  
        "I'll miss you, too." Kohaku smiled sadly at Sakae. "I...um...I love you, my sweet friend. Friends for life, yeah…?"

  
        Sakae got up and pulled Kohaku into a hug. "Friends forever," she stated as she finally began to cry, no longer able to hold it all in. Kohaku said nothing. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Sakae and silently cried with her...

* * *

        Kohaku walked into the facility, wiping her cheeks to rid them of the tears that were still falling since she left Sakae's place. She had stayed longer to just hug her friend and...release her emotions with her... Kohaku headed up to her bedroom and opened the door.

  
        "You're back." L was crouching on the bed, staring right at her as she walked in. He immediately noticed her tears. "I see that you told her."

  
        "Y-Yeah." Kohaku went over to the bed and curled up beside him, in sitting position as well.

  
        L wrapped one of his arms around her and laid his head on her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort. "I'm sure it was hard for you."

  
        "...It was..." Kohaku whispered. "L... I don't want to forget everything anymore... I want to remember that moment Sakae and I had... I want to remember the imperfection of Light and I's friendship... I want to remember that I have a limited life... Guess Light is just...gonna have to stay behind bars since he'll be keeping his memories... Sorry."

  
        "Don't apologize. I understand." L kissed her cheek.

  
        Kohaku looked at him and smiled sadly like she had with Sakae. "I love you, L Lawliet."

  
        "And I love you, Kohaku Hatashi." L half-smiled. He leaned in and gave her a small, sweet kiss; one of many more that he would give her while he still had her in his life...

* * *

        It was December 5th. Light walked out of the police station. Cops stood around him, giving him evil stares. Ignoring them, Light continued his journey out of the station. It had been weeks since he had talked to anyone, let alone seen the sun.

  
        Stretching his arms to the sky, he began to look around. A figure standing across the street caught his attention. Sakae stood in a light jacket and jeans covering her. Her blonde hair was up in a low ponytail and her blue eyes looked towards him. Anger began to fill his mind as he looked at his former friend. "What are you doing here?" he asked with venom laced in his words.

  
        Sakae walked towards the now-released Light, crossing the street. "I wanted to see how you were doing," she said, not daring to look into his eyes. "I thought you might want to know the state of things since you've been locked up." Not receiving an answer, the young blonde sighed. "I know you're mad at me-"

  
        "Mad? That's an understatement," Light stated. "I gave you my love and my loyalty. I could have made you the queen of a new world but no, you sided with that bitch of a friend who betrayed everything."

  
        Sakae stood in front of her friend; her boyfriend. "I never said I wanted any of those things. You know I was against it from the beginning. That notebook, it changed you for the worse, Light. You were no longer…the person I'd fallen in love with."

  
        "Exactly how long were you in love with me then, Sakae?" Light asked, curious now.

  
        Sakae blushed a little bit before lowering her head a bit. "For quite a while but I was able to hide it. Once I started to spend more time with you…it was harder to hide." The young girl looked up at Light who still held anger in his eyes. "I'll…say this, it may be too late but I hope it helps." Gathering up the courage, Sakae said the words, "I love you, Light Yagami, and not because of what you wish to be but for who you are, my best friend. Now, with what you do with that information is up to you."

  
        Light stared at Sakae, not showing any emotion while he processed what she had just said to him. "You're in love with a criminal then. Are you okay with that?"

  
        Sakae nodded. "I've thought about it a lot and wondered if I really was in love with you. Every conclusion led me to you, plain and simple." A small ding rang from her phone. Quickly removing it from her pocket, Sakae looked at the screen. "Hmm. Light, I have to tell you something about Kohaku."

  
        "After this." Light pulled Sakae into a hug. Much to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tightly to her. Neither wanted to leave the blissful moment for an unknown future to come. Light just smiled to himself. "Thank you for accepting me, Sakae. I don't know what I would do without you."

  
        Breaking the hug, Sakae looked up at him. She leaned up and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "You're welcome."

  
        "What were you going to say about Kohaku?" he asked her.

  
        "She's leaving, Light. She and L are leaving for England soon and I was curious if you wanted to come with me to say our final goodbyes," Sakae answered. She watched as Light thought about what to answer. She wouldn't tell him about Kohaku's limited life; Kohaku would tell him whenever she wished.

  
        "Yea, I think I will. Even though this situation is fucked up as can be, she is still our friend," Light stated.

  
        A smile appeared on Sakae's face, happy to see that another part of the old Light had come back to the surface. "Great! Shall we go now?"

  
        Light thought for a moment. "I think I'd rather wait a little bit. I have something else I'd rather do," he commented. Picking up a laughing Sakae, Light began his journey on a better path. On that day in December, one journey came to an end and new journeys began for the trio of friends...


	30. Lethal Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beloved character passes away.
> 
> Tear jerking final chapter. Thanks for being a part of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise 1st P.O.V. for last scene of this chapter and fanfic.

        It has been almost seven years since the trio of friends' new journey began…

  
        Light and Sakae had gotten married two years after everything had blown over. Sakae was working as a chemist for a pharmaceutical company. The two had kids: a girl named Taiga who was five years old and a little boy named Tora who was two years old. Ryuichi, married to a lovely lady and had a kid of his own, ran his own restaurant chain; he was enjoying coming up with new recipes to see how people would like them...

  
        Kohaku and L remained in England all those years, got married after a year of being there and had two children, that were twins, named Kenichi and Esther; they were almost six years old. They were living at Wammy's House, an orphanage for gifted children. Kohaku helped L with detective work quite a bit of times before her pregnancy and the birth of their kids but spent most of her time taking care of Kenichi and Esther, along with kind of watching over Mello, Near, and Matt, whom she had met when she moved to England...

* * *

        It was Kohaku's last day... She had spent that day just like any other day: she was going to be with her family that had formed while she had been with L there in England. It was about thirty minutes to midnight. Kohaku was leaning against the headboard of a bed, the one she and L shared, and around her were a few of her loved ones: L, Matt, Mello, and Near. Kenichi and Esther were sleeping, Watari keeping an eye on them since they tended to wake and wander in the middle of the night. Matt, Mello, and Near were standing before the bed while L was sitting in his crouched position beside her; neither of them seemed to have aged at all over the years, though they had gotten slightly taller than they had once been.

  
        Kohaku smiled kindly at Matt, Mello, and Near. The three of them were around their early twenties, Kohaku not too much older than them for she was in her mid twenties. "You three don't have to be here when...I go, you know... I'm fine with just having L with me..." Honestly, she'd love for them to stay so she could be surrounded by a few loved ones but she did not wish for them to see her die...

  
        Mello was in his usual attire, dark leather clothing, and he bit into a chocolate bar that he had in his right hand, his blue eyes on Kohaku and his chin length golden-blond hair swaying slightly as he shook his head a bit. "Don't make such a big deal about it. We're in here because we want to be." He swallowed the piece of chocolate that was in his mouth. In other words, they loved her and they wouldn't be in there if they didn't.

  
        "Mmm..." Kohaku didn't know how to respond to that. Mello glanced down at his chocolate bar. He broke off a piece and held it out towards Kohaku, causing her to blink. "Hmm?" she wondered.

  
        Very light blush appeared in Mello's cheeks and he avoided eye contact with her. "Here."

  
        Kohaku blinked again but in surprise. "Huh? But...you never share."

  
        "Well, you're dying. I might as well share a piece with you at least once," Mello said, still avoiding eye contact. "It's only because you're about to die, okay? It doesn't mean anything."

  
        Kohaku stared at him for a moment before giggling a little and taking the chocolate. "Sure it doesn't~ Thank you." She happily ate the chocolate slowly, savoring it since it would be the last thing she ever tasted. Mello nodded and ate his chocolate some more. Kohaku looked at Matt. Matt's hair was brown and his eyes were dark blue. He was wearing a red and black striped long-sleeved top, blue pants, black gloves that reached just below the elbow, black boots, cream-colored sleeveless vest with a fur trim, and white goggles with amber-tinted lenses. "It's very rare for me to see you not playing a video game," Kohaku said. "...and not smoking," she added shortly afterwards, noticing he didn't have a cigarette in his mouth.

  
        "It would be rude with the current situation," Matt stated. His left hand, however, was slowly inching towards one of his pants pockets.

  
        Kohaku noticed this. She giggled a second time. "I assume your 3DS and a pack of cigarettes are in the pocket that your hand is ever so slowly approaching. It's fine. I won't find it rude at all. You'll just be being you." Matt smiled a bit and hesitated for a mere second before he pulled out his small gaming system and a cigarette, moving to sit in a chair beside the bed.

  
        Near and L hadn't spoken since the five of them gathered inside the room, which wasn't that long actually since they only were in there for five minutes before Kohaku started speaking. L was holding one of Kohaku's hands and Near was just standing around, messing with his white hair and dressed in pajamas. Kohaku didn't expect Near to speak much or speak at all, feeling that his silence meant that he was sad that she was about to pass on.

  
        Kohaku looked at the time. It was getting closer to midnight. Kohaku smiled sadly. "L... Remember that conversation so long ago when I told you that I didn't mind dying...?" She didn't wait for a reply. She didn't need one. "...Well...I still don't mind that I am about to die because of saving you and Watari...but...I have to admit that...I'm really fucking scared..." She felt L squeeze her hand. "But...I'm glad you four are here with me..." Kohaku looked at Near. "Near." Near stared at her with his gray eyes, sharp bags underneath them. Kohaku gave him a closed eyed smile. "You keep wearing pajamas and playing with toys. Always be you." Kohaku opened her eyes and looked at Mello and then Matt, who were both looking at her. "Now, you two... You both better behave but also be yourselves." The two of them always tended to cause trouble.

  
        "How the hell am I suppose to behave? Trouble's my middle name," Mello said.

  
        Matt rolled his eyes at Mello. "We'll behave," he told Kohaku. "And we will help take care of Keni and Star." Star was Esther's nickname.

  
        Kohaku smiled slightly. "Thank you... I love all of you... I love Watari... I love Esther and Kenichi..." Kohaku's smile became sad again. "I love Sakae...and Light...and Taiga and Tora..." She loved Ryuichi, his wife, and his kid too but by the point, she was close to crying and she had to stop talking for a moment. The last time she had saw them (Sakae, Light, and their two kids; Ryuichi and his fam) was five months beforehand... Oh, she was going to miss all of them.

  
        "...I love you too..." L mumbled, depressed.

  
        "We all love you," Near commented. "And we won't stop." Kohaku's sad smile was gone again, replaced with a happy one once again. Matt got out of the chair he was in, put out his cigarette, put away his 3DS, went towards the bed, and gave Kohaku a hug. Mello and Near slowly joined in on the hugging, followed hesitatingly by L.

  
        When they finally pulled apart, it was a minute to midnight. Kohaku laid down and then stared at the ceiling. Near was staring at the floor... Mello and Matt were standing beside each other, not looking at Kohaku... L continued to hold Kohaku's hand... Kohaku closed her eyes...and whispered. "See you later."

  
        The clock struck midnight...and Kohaku was soon pronounced deceased from heart failure...

* * *

        "Dinner time~"

  
        Sakae left the kitchen, walking into the formal dining room where her kids, Taiga and Tora, sat waiting for the food. She placed the roast chicken in the middle of the table for everyone to get at. Taiga reached for the chicken but cried out a little when Sakae smacked her hand. "Not yet, young lady. We have to wait for daddy and your uncle." A smile appeared on Sakae's face with Taiga pouted a little bit.

  
        "Sakae, what in the world is that smell?" Ryuichi walked into the dining, holding the hand of his wife, Sarah, who he met aboard while in America. Their son, Terran, ran into the room from behind them. "Terran! Slow down!" Ryuichi yelled as he picked his 5-year-old child up. "What did we talk about, little mister?"

  
        Terran looked at Ryuichi with sad gray eyes. "No running," he said while pouting. Ryuichi sighed and smiled. He sat the young boy down and ruffled his red hair. Terran ran over to Taiga to pull her into the playroom of the home.

  
        "Mommy?" Tora looked up at Sakae. With a small nod of approval from his mother, Tora left the dining room table, heading right for the playroom.

  
        "What the hell are you talking about smell?! I spent hours trying to cook this, Mister five-star chef!" Sakae yelled at the red head. "I can't be the perfect cook that you can." She glared at him slightly before sighing. "Thanks for coming, Ryu. It's good to see you." The two siblings met halfway to pull each other into a small hug. "So, how are things going with you, brother?" Sakae led Ryuichi and Sarah over to the table to sit.

  
        "Just fine; we've been able to open another restaurant. It was packed at the grand opening! You really should have been there, Sakae," Ryuichi told his younger sister. She nodded along to what he said as Ryuichi boasted about his restaurant chain that was beginning to take off. The blonde couldn't help but smile at her older brother. "So." Ryuichi stopped for a moment. "Seems like life is treating you kindly," he commented, looking around the dining room.

  
        Sakae nodded. After everything happened, she graduated from college and was immediately offered a high paying job. It took her forever to decide whether or not to go for it, due to the stress it could cause her. Luckily, she had a small push to tell her to go for it. Speaking of that small push…

  
        Light walked into the dining room where he saw the adults sitting and talking. "Seems like everyone beat me here," he commented.

  
        Sakae took a quick look at her watch. "Hmm…must have been busy today."

  
        Light sat down in the chair next to his wife with a small plop. "Busy is an understatement." He shrugged off his jacket. "Where are Taiga and Tora?"

  
        "Playroom with Terran," Ryuichi answered.

  
        "Um…let me go get some wine," Sakae said.

  
        The family socialized over dinner. Ryuichi made snarky comments about his sister's cooking to the point he nearly had a knife thrown at him. Everyone enjoyed the dinner overall even with rampageous kids running all over. After dinner, the kids went to play in the other room, leaving the adults to themselves.

  
        "Oh." Sakae heard the phone ringing from her office. "Excuse me for a moment." Sakae left everyone in the dining room as she went to answer the call.

  
        Light looked over at Ryuichi. "Terran sure has grown up the last I saw him."

  
        Ryuichi nodded. "That kid is smart, too. Can already outsmart any kid in his class and I'm prepping him to go to a private academy," he boasted.

  
        "Oh, really. Taiga has remained at the top of her class since the beginning of the year and there have been discussions about Sakae and I sending her to one of the most regarded primary schools in the country," Light shot back.

  
        "Terran can already read at a second grade level," Ryuichi said.

  
        "Third grade for Taiga. And she already begun to add numbers in the thousands."

  
        "Terran can already multiply."

  
        "Taiga can already conduct her own experiments."

  
        The two argued back and forth before Ryuichi's wife had enough. "Stop, you two! The kids can hear you from the other room!" She also smacked Ryuichi upside the head.

  
        "Ow! Fine, fine." He retreated back into his seat.

  
        The adults were interrupted with footsteps coming from Sakae's office. They looked up to see Sakae's face red and tears falling down her cheeks. Light looked a little shocked. "Sakae, are you okay?" he asked as he walked over to his wife.

  
        "K-Kohaku… She's… She died..." Sakae mumbled out.

  
        Light's eyes went wide. "H-How?"

  
        "Seven years ago, she told me that…she gave up her life to save L. She had but 7 years left," she explained.

  
        "W-Why didn't you tell me?" Light asked.

  
        "I was going to but so much happened. I..." Sakae began to cry more as the thought of her best friend being gone began to sink in. "K-Kohaku…" she cried. Light tried to comfort his grieving wife but nothing seemed to help as he just watched her cry more.

  
        "Mommy?" Taiga peeked in from the playroom. She saw her uncle watching her mom and her father holding her. "Mommy? What's wrong?" The young girl asked as she cautiously walked over to her crying mother.

  
        "A-Aunt Kohaku…is gone," Sakae whispered.

  
        Taiga's eyes widened as if she understood what was just told to her. The young girl walked over to her mother and hugged her. "It will be okay, Mommy…"

  
        There was a sadness in the air as the news of Kohaku's death began to sink in. Hours passed by, Ryuichi and his family had left, Taiga and Tora were in bed, and Light was cleaning the dishes up. Sakae sat in her office, staring out the window. "Are you really gone?" she asked. A small star in the sky caught her attention. As if answering her question, the little star grew a bit brighter for a moment then dulled back again. Sakae smiled a little bit.

  
        Thoughts of her past traveled through her mind. The day of finding the Death Note, the day Light was discovered, and the day…she found out where she belonged. "A lot has happened my friend. That notebook caused us a lot of trouble but in a way, it did us some good." Sakae looked up at the small star, watching it. "You and I, no matter where, are always together." With one last smile, Sakae looked at the star and nodded. "Good-bye, my friend. I'll never forget you. Never," she said before getting up and leaving the room.

* * *

        I leaned against a tree. It's been nearly two years since I've died. When I died...I didn't exactly...move on. I stayed behind. I wanted to see how everyone would be...and ended up staying longer than I thought. I had given Sakae a sign...by making a star become brighter. I don't know how I did that but...I was beside her when she spoke...and I did happen to be looking at the small star that shined bright for a moment. She has kept her promise of remembering me so far and I am sure she won't be breaking that promise ever...or at least for a while.

  
        I watched as L and our two children walked towards my grave. Kenichi looked almost exactly like L except he had my eyes. Esther looked almost exactly like me except she had L's eyes. I love all of them so damn much. I wish I could hold them all one last time...before I officially go...

  
        "I'm so sorry for leaving you too soon..." I said softly. I knew they couldn't hear me, but still, I wanted to say it out loud. It made me feel better...about what happened.

  
        I watched as Kenichi and Esther got down to their knees in front of my grave, L standing behind them, slouching like he always did. He is still so cute and so handsome. Age has done him justice; he looks good still, basically. Hell, he hardly changed. Matt, Mello, Near, and Watari were more than likely inside still. I miss talking to all of them... I love them all so much. The boys hardly changed since I last saw them, remaining themselves and being as unique as always.

  
        "It's nice to see you, Mom," Kenichi said. He touched my tombstone. "I hope Heaven is wonderful."

  
        I smiled a little. "I haven't been there yet and I won't go there just yet. I want to stay and be here to watch you...and once I am ready, I shall go." I really wish they could hear me...

  
        "Daddy says we'll be together again someday," Esther stated. She wiped a tear that managed to drop from her beautiful eyes; L's eyes.

  
        I moved from the tree and I walked over to Kenichi, Esther, and L. I leaned down beside Esther and whispered. "It's okay to cry, sweetheart... Don't be afraid to release your emotions..."

  
        As if she heard me, she began to allow herself to cry. Kenichi comforted her. "It's okay, Estee," he said. "Mom will always be in our hearts and memories." Kenichi tried his hardest not to cry too, being someone who didn't like to cry in front of others just like myself, but found himself doing so anyways.

  
        I let them cry, I couldn't help them cheer up sadly, and I looked at L. He seemed to have his mind on something, like always. There was a hint of tears forming in his eyes; he must be thinking about our time we had together. Maybe he was just thinking about me in general.

  
        "You two should head back inside," he said suddenly. I probably should've mentioned this before, but I was buried outside of Wammy's House. "Watari will be done with the cookies soon enough."

  
        Watari... You probably have a couple more years left in you. You are about...eighty now. I'll be seeing you soon enough...

  
        Esther and Kenichi stood up and, while holding each other, walked past L and headed inside. I moved to stand beside my tombstone. L moved forward until he was in front of it before he squatted on the ground. Even now, he still sits like that. Some things never change, huh? He stared at it. He was sad, I could tell. "L..." I didn't like it when he was sad or upset.

  
        "I miss you," L mumbled. A few tears began to fall down his face. He continued staring at my tombstone.

  
        "I miss you too..." I choked out, curling up beside him. He must have sensed my presence because he looked in my direction for a few moments before he looked at my tombstone again.

  
        "Kohaku...?" he wondered out loud.

  
        I smiled. He does sense my presence. I placed my arm around him. He probably won't feel it, even though I can feel him somehow. "I'm still here... Don't worry... I am still here, L..."

  
        L smiled a little as if he had heard me. He placed his hand on his left shoulder, right where my hand was. He couldn't see me...but he knew I was here somehow. "I'll love you always."

  
        "And I will always love you." I stood up and walked towards the tree. A light began to appear; my gateway to Heaven opening. I'm ready to leave. I looked back towards L. "I'm leaving now. I'll see you when you get there. Take good care of our children. Keep Matt and Mello out of trouble. Make sure Near doesn't become like those two over time; I rather him remain almost exactly like you." I looked back at the light and began to move towards it.

  
        "...Take care, Kohaku..." I heard L say. I looked back to see him getting up and heading back inside. I smiled as an invisible tear went down my invisible cheek. I walked into the bright light, welcoming it at long last...

  
        L... The love I have for you is lethal; it ended up causing my death... I, however, do not regret saving Watari and you... I could not live in a world without you...and as you promised, you...are learning to live without me. From the day I met you to the day I died, those years...were the best years of my life...even if they were filled with drama and hatred towards Light...and so much love and friendship...and so on and so on. I may be gone...but our love will last...

  
        L...

  
        Do Not Forget...

  
        About Our Lethal Love...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In This Life by Delta Goodrem~
> 
> I was nurtured  
> I was sheltered  
> I was curious and young  
> I was searchin' for the something  
> Tryin' to find it on the run  
> Oh and just when I stopped lookin'  
> I saw just how far I'd come  
> In this life  
> In this life
> 
> You give me love  
> You give me light  
> Show me everythings been happenin'  
> I've opened up my eyes  
> I'm followin'  
> 3 steps fight a honest fight (oh)  
> 2 hearts, they can start a fire (yeah yeah)  
> 1 love is all I need in this life (oh)  
> Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah  
> In this life
> 
> I have faltered  
> I have stumbled  
> I have found my feet again  
> I've been angry and I've been shaken  
> Found a new place to begin  
> And my persistence to make a difference has led me safe into your hands  
> In this life  
> In this life
> 
> You give me love  
> You give me light  
> Show me everythings been happenin'  
> I've opened up my eyes  
> I'm followin'  
> 3 steps fight a honest fight (oh)  
> 2 hearts, they can start a fire (yeah yeah)  
> 1 love is all I need in this life (oh)  
> In this life  
> Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah
> 
> I was put here for a reason  
> I was born into this world  
> And I'm living and I'm believing that I was meant to be your girl  
> In this life  
> In this life
> 
> You give me love  
> You give me light  
> Show me everythings been happenin'  
> I've opened up my eyes  
> I'm followin'  
> 3 steps fight a honest fight (oh)  
> 2 hearts, they can start a fire (yeah yeah)  
> 1 love is all I need in this life (oh)  
> 3 steps fight a honest fight (oh)  
> 2 hearts, they can start a fire (yeah yeah)  
> 1 love is all I need in this life (oh)  
> Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah  
> In this life  
> Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah  
> In this life  
> Oh, oh, oh oh  
> In this life  
> Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah

**Author's Note:**

> This can be found on Quotev, Wattpad, and Fanfiction.net! Already completed months ago and is just simply being placed on here as well!
> 
> I'd love to read your thoughts so leave a comment! :3


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